Enemalta ‘misleading’ consumers, Muscat expects MRA to shoulder responsibility

Enemalta has tried to mislead consumers on the true standing of domestic fuel prices when compared to other European member states, Opposition leader Joseph Muscat said this morning.

Addressing a political activity in Hal Ghaxaq as part of the 'A Fair Society' campaign, Muscat said the Malta Resources Authority (MRA) had done nothing when faced by Enemalta's outright deceivableness.

"In trying to justify why fuel prices didn't decrease as much as they were meant to, Enemalta issued a statement ranking Malta among the countries with the lowest prices in Europe," Muscat said.

"However, when a real like with like comparison is carried out, and taxes are removed, Malta's fuel prices shoot up as the most expensive in the whole of Europe."

Muscat explained that other countries had much higher taxes than Malta's - "even though ours are already high" - and insisted it was misleading of Enemalta to compare prices, tax included.

Muscat added that the consumers' authority should have intervened to defend the consumers, while insisting that MRA and its chairman were personally responsible of Enemalta's wrongdoing.

"I expect MRA to investigate Enemalta's action and I expect it to shoulder the responsibility for failing to intervene before. MRA's ineffectiveness of protecting consumers only makes it a lapdog," he said.

Muscat also reiterated his criticism over government's decision to go ahead with plans to run the Delimara power station extension on heavy fuel oil, ignoring Labour's call for a gas-run power station.

"Government has now issued a tender requesting studies to how the power station can be converted to gas. This, after failing to listen to our calls with the result that further thousands of euros in taxpayers' money will be wasted."

Muscat reiterated that the PL was the "natural home" for the middle class, youths and the elderly and urged Labour supporters to keep on working hard for the looming elections.

"As the elections get closer, expect the scaremongering to increase. Various entities are already being scared by claims that a Labour government would make them redundant: this is not true," he said, adding that the Nationalist government would stop at nothing to remain in power.

He added that scaremongering campaigns were going on at the National Sports Council and at the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage.

"We must work until the very last moment. We must show everyone that we are one movement, one family and that we welcome newcomers with open arms. Keep in mind that a fair society can only be reached if we forget the past that divides us and look towards a future that unites."

On finance and economy, the Labour leader lambasted government's financial planning as being "amateurish".

Muscat listed a number of government's failed promises in this area, including the €38 million deficit increase and the €141 debt increase in the first half of 2012.

Muscat said that according to the budget speech for 2012, the deficit should have gone down by €50 million by the end of the year while the debt was meant to increase only by €100 million.

"But how can we expect better results if the country is run by a prime minister without any economic credentials and an amateur finance minister who claim that official statistics do not reflect reality?"

Muscat also welcomed the democratic elections taking place in Libya. While wishing them "prosperity", he said that Malta would be behind them in supporting "the free chocies which will be taken".

Also addressing the activity were Labour candidates for the general elections Carmel Hili, MEP Edward Scicluna and the Opposition's spokesperson for health Marie Louise Coleiro Preca.

Scicluna lambasted government for having hid from parliament a budgetary plan it submitted to the European Commission in April and said that, contrary to other Member States, it failed to discuss it in parliament.

On the European Commission's recommendations that Malta should increase its retirement age and to review the cost of living adjustment (COLA) mechanism,  Scicluna said that Gonzi had now "missed the bus".

"The Prime Minister is a year late in trying to convince the Commission that we can do without its recommendations," he said.