Higher gas price locked in for three months in Liquigas agreement

Malta's main importer of liquified petroleum gas has reached an agreement with the government to "lock in" the price of gas cylinders for the coming three months, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat announced in the House of Representatives.

Until December 2013, the price of the standard 12kg cylinder will be €18.30, €1 higher than the current price, but lower than the same period in 2012. The price is lower than that charged in October 2012, at €19.60. The news follows similar developments last week on the price of fuel. The 15kg cylinde, currently priced at €21.65, will go up to €22.90.

"We had grown accustomed to the fact that we cannot control the international price of gas. But now that we're in government, in these same realities we have managed to achieve price stability on gas for families and businesses after demanding that the regulator creates a new framework for the way gas prices are set," Muscat said, in a rundown of recent government business and his speech to the United Nations' General Assembly in New York.

"The price being fixed is cheaper than any of the prices charged during nine months throughout 2012. Our aim is to provide stability in prices for families and businesses concerned about their expenses, and we will work towards creating more stability that can create more jobs."

We managed to lock in a price for #LPG until year-end that is cheaper than the equivalent in 2012. This ensures stability -JM #Malta — Joseph Muscat (@JosephMuscat_JM) September 30, 2013

Irregular migration

Reporting on his bilateral meetings at the United Nations, where he addressed the General Assembly last week, Muscat today referred once again to "illegal immigration" - a complete reversal of the term "irregular immigration" he preferred to employ with his audience of heads of state and dignitaries in New York.

"For the first time ever we spoke to a Somali minister, from where 40% of illegal immigrants arriving to Malta come from," Muscat said.

The prime minister cited a total of 19,000 arrivals of migrants "throughout the years", saying 7,000 had hailed from Somalia. "Malta has asked for the start of diplomatic relations with Somalia... it's the first step so that the two government start working together on the issue of illegal immigration.

"Solving the problem of immigration in a sustainable manner, means we must look towards those countries from where the problem orginates, and they have to be part of the solution.... For us, the status quo is not an acceptable choice," Muscat said.

Enemalta-China MOU

Earlier in his statement, Muscat referred to his participation in the Summer Davos Forum in Dalian, China, where the Maltese government secured a memorandum of understanding for the sale of a stake in Enemalta to Chinese-government owned China Power Investment and its subsidiary Shanghai Electric.

Muscat said discussions will be taking place over the next six months, before a new announcement is made on the negotiations with the Chinese partners.

Muscat said Enemalta had been constantly loss-making since 2001, with debt today reaching €840 million, registering €70 million in losses in the last year, and twice downgraded by credit rating agencies.

"This is the past government's heritage, not to mention the confusion emerging in the public accounts committee's hearings of late. But we've been positive, not complaining about Enemalta's problems or laying-off workers. In our promise-of-sale agreement with China Power Investment, we will have a minority acquisition that will still leave the company's control totally in Maltese hands. This cash injection will substantially reduce Enemalta's debt, safeguard jobs, and create a service centre for energy plants in the Mediterranean and Africa."

The China Power Investment MOU will also lead to a joint company for the manufacturing of solar photovoltaic panels.