Muscat calls for “real competition” in the pay-television market

Asked about the PL’s position on the controversy that has ensured following the acquisition of the Italian Serie A and the English Premier League by telecoms company GO, during a discussion programme on party station One Radio, Muscat said: “There is the need for the MCA to ensure that there is true competition.”

Muscat insisted that the MCA should have seen to this “years ago to legislate about these things. Things would have been clearer and more transparent if the regulator took these steps.”

Among the things that the MCA should have ensured, the Labour leader explained, was the fact that the set-top boxes chosen by the two telecoms companies’ were interoperable – you just change the card. Unfortunately, the MCA failed to do this, Muscat lamented.

Muscat dwelt at length about the issue of COLA, poverty and inflation.

He revealed that between May 2009 and May this year, the expense on water and electricity bills increased by 27% when compared to last year.

On the other hand, Muscat lamented, high inflation led to lack of competitiveness, thus leading investors to leave Malta,

He explained how the PL had made a number of concrete proposals on the cost of living. If the Government heeded the PL’s proposals on the cost of living as it with the MEPA law on spatial planning and the polluter pays principle, then it would solve the problem of inflation

He mentioned the case of a woman whose husband had not been paid for the past two months.  “They did not speak out because they were afraid of losing their jobs,” Muscat lamented.

Muscat cited the latest Eurobarometer survey on the cost of living which showed that 60 per cent of those interview insisted that they could not cope with daily bills.

On the other hand, Government said that it was going to combat the perception of poverty rather than poverty itself.

“This is a shocking and insensitive declaration by Lawrence Gonzi in front of thousand of families that are getting poorer and the middle class is also feeling the pinch in its living standards,” Muscat insisted.

He explained how an independent observer such as Caritas director Mgr Victor Grech during the past few months had made two worrying declarations about the ever-increasing poverty in Malta.

As what would the PL do if an election was called now, Muscat said that the party “would continue saying the truth”

He explained how the deficit at the end of 2009 had reached €290 million as against a projected €241 million, and that the total amount of accumulated debt had reached €4 billion;

“We would do an electoral programme based on the realistic assessment of the Maltese economy,” Muscat insisted.

“We want to give a fair deal to everybody, not only to those Nationalists ‘tal-qalba’, as is the situation now,” he added.

He insisted that if the European Commission was accepting the economic policy of the Maltese Government now, it should continue doing so under a Labour Government.

Asked whether health would remain free under a Labour Government, Muscat reiterated his position that health services would remain free under a Labour Government.

“It is a question of priorities. If we can afford the €93,000 for the new MEPA chairman., then the Government should keep health free,” Muscst insisted, referring to the statement made by MEPA chairman Austin Walker justifying his salary during a business breakfast.

All we get is a MEPA which is “strong with the weak and weak with the strong, In the City Gate project, all the local plans were changed,” the Labour leader said.

He also lambasted Finance Minister Tonio Fenech for not expressing himself about whether BWSC should pay a €9 million fine because he claimed that he was getting advice from the AG.

“This is the way in which the Government is trying to avoid not to fine BWSC,” Muscat concluded.