Increase in gas prices necessary to meet international prices, says Gonzi.
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, in an interview this morning with Radio 101, said that the prices of 62 medicines which target various health conditions have been cut, with price cuts varying from 20% and 50%.
4 July 2010, 12:00am
Martina Said
Martina Said
2 min read
Parliamentary secretary for consumer affairs Chris Said, entrusted with this role after this year’s cabinet shuffle, held various meetings with medicine importers and producers, to bring Malta’s medicine prices in line with the same prices of other EU member states.
“ This issue in consumer affairs is extremely important, as medicine prices directly impact the lives of many people with critical health conditions, “ Gonzi said.
The increase in gas prices announced earlier this week is “a decision which government needed to take, as a result of the constant international increase in gas prices,” Gonzi said. This has also brought about an increase in energy benefits, which aims to help families most in need, especially the elderly.
Out of a total of 150,000 families, 28,000 families will benefit from a 15 euro benefit on gas tanks. A percentage of these families, the elderly, are in further need of help and will therefore receive a benefit of 25 euros, Gonzi explained.
As for restaurants, Gonzi said “it makes better sense to incentivise tourism to increase their sales, rather than spend money on subsidising gas prices.”
Gonzi also talked about the investment received by ST microelectronics, which is a “positive sign showing us that foreign investors have faith in Malta.”
“The company, which employs around 1,300 people, is responsible for half of all Maltese exports, and investment is a clear indication of the capacity of our workers in this field,” Gonzi said.
In a report published by Eurostat this week on taxation trends in the EU, statistics show that the Maltese pay high VAT rates compared to other EU members. Gonzi added “this increase had to take place in 2003, where we increased VAT from 15% to 18% to sustain the health sector in Malta.”
“Malta today has the 4th cheapest VAT rate in the EU; I can assure you that in coming years, many EU countries that did not increase their taxes before will increase them now, and we will remain the same,” Gonzi said.
Luke Camilleri •
Issa sirt naf veru xi tfisser l-espressjoni tahllat il-Hass mal-Gas...u prova cara ta' din l-espressjoni Maltija qehda tkun aktar spiss, fil fatt kull meta jiftah halqu Dr. Gonzi.
Il-Gas li qieghed juza' ma ghaddux jillipjah daqs kemm jahseb lill-poplu, specjalment kull meta jisma' il-hsejjes ta-cilindri li jqajmu qahda sew ghax messlu sew il-but!
Alfred Galea •
Gonzi also talked about the investment received by ST microelectronics, which is a “positive sign showing us that foreign investors have faith in Malta.”
How much money did STM receive and is still receiving from the government, which is taxpayers" money?? Probably MORE than it's investing in its production facility.
As for VAT, in order to maintain the present health care, pensions and other social services, it WILL be raised to 20-21% before Vision 2015.
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Dear Dr Gonzi,
international gas prioces have gone down not up.
When are you going to wake up to reality from your daydreaming?
Sammy Cutajar •
The more he speaks the more people are getting confused.
He says one thing and does another.
He was against subsidies yet with the heavy price increase on gas, we are subsiding restaurants so the there would be more people (tourists) going in to spend their money there.
And apart from that we are subsiding his most awful and incompentet bunch of ministers and their lackeys.
He is harping loudly about the prices of medicines. He is boasting about the decrease in prices for some 62 of these medicines. A similar thing used to happen in the Labour years of the 1970s and 80s.
If he is boasting about this then he has nothing to show for his tenure at Castille that he clinched with less than half of a quota of votes!!!!!
Does he really think that the people are taking him and his government in a serious way? I don't think so as either he is getting advised in a very illogical and perverse way or he can't see the wood from the trees.
His trumpeting of 'achievements' is getting too discordant by now.
Is he really making any sense?
Has he lost it all?
Would the real PM stand up to be counted?
Anthea D'Amico •
Dear Mr. Prime Minister, the actual problem with medicine is the shortrages due to us patients. Zokor 20mg, which i'm afraid, is my daily intake and duely my entitlement has been out of stock for well over 3 months. Now you're telling me that the price is to be reduced to €24.77. WOW What am i supposed to do if i can't afford them, and even if i could, why should i, when i'm entitled, after paying my dues for well over 45 years? Can you kindly enlighten me at all? lanqas misthija ma ghad baqghalkhom
malcolm mizzi •
Adding insult to injury. Gonzi says"this issue in consumer affairs is extremely important, aas medicine prices directly impact on the lives of many people with critical health conditions". Issa stenbaht? I thought that your pair of hands were much stronger. This is an admission of robbery of unprecedented proportions. Dak li ghadda x'gara minnu? Issa min se jhallasni lura dawk il flus kollha li serquli l-importaturi? I demand an answer from the PM.
Luke Camilleri •
Why not International Standards as well?
Last year the increased gas prices were justified by the government on the basis that state subsidies had been removed. So why had prices now gone up by 32% when the euro zone price increase average was 1%?
Stop giving us Bull and truly grab it by the horns by the mythical firm hands. Cut out the
Rhetoric, it gives the impression to be coming out either from someone being gassed up or just full of gas ...and not the bottled type!
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KIf ma tisthjx Dr Gonzi din sihieb ta meta mort il parlament tivvota bil qalb fuq l-gholi tal kontijiet ta dawl u l-ilma .Dak il hafna flus li qedin jisirqu il kunsulenti li ghandek imissek taqta mela tigi tghid li l-gholi tal gasjaqbwel mal gholi ial prezz internazjonali Ara il paga dawk ma gibohmx jaqblu ma ta pajjizi ohra ma nafx kif dawk il boloh li ikllok quddiemek jigu icapcpulek .Sibtu lil dak ir rieqed l-iehor il kap ta l-oppozizjoni qadlek ghal kollox ma iqajjimiex naqra lin nies forsi jaghmlulek naqra bsaten ghax qassistu lil KULLHADD issa
Joseph MELI •
Apparently the MRA possess a price setting mechanism whereby they set strict conditions(sic)for Liquigas to comply with before they approve any increase in price.I enquired what precisely this "set price mechanism" contains and where may the public access the criteria.Needless to say the silence has been deafening.Also whenever any Monoploy exists,as in the case of gas supply there is no competition and thereby no pressure or requirement to moderate or contain prices .If only we could trap and contain all the hot air emanting from the government we would be self-suffficient in this energy -even have an over-abundance of supply.
