The Nationalist Party reiterated on Wednesday that it will table a motion in parliament to repeal or amend a controversial legal notice exempting tax on property transfers to set off arrears. 

Addressing a press conference, MPs Mario de Marco and Karol Aquilina said the Opposition had "reservations that have yet to be addressed" despite the legal notice coming into force on November 8.  

The new measure  allows those with tax arrears due by January 2021 to pay any tax due on the transfer of property purchased before March 2021 against their arrears. The move was met with widespread criticism from various stakeholders who have insisted it only benefits defaulters and does not take into consideration those who have their payments in order. 

"It is not just the Opposition that is asking for this. The Chamber of Commerce, for instance, was among those criticising the scheme. The government did not give any explanation why it introduced the scheme other than that it wants to collect arrears," de Marco said. 

While acknowledging the government might want to launch schemes to collect arrears from time to time, de Marco said the legal notice goes "beyond that".

"There are still questions on this. The government did not even publish the guidelines. There is also no capping on the amounts," he said. 

According to Aquilina, the Opposition has 28 days to table such a motion and the government is obliged to review it. He said the government has 60 days to do so although he also pointed out the legal notice will remain in force during this period. 

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