Labour accuses government of ‘incompetence’ and ‘lack of planning’

Opposition spokesperson on the environment Joe Mizzi hit out at Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, accusing him of “serious lack of planning”.

In what seemed like a complete U-turn, Gonzi had said he is now seriously considering going for a natural gas pipeline to fuel the power station.

Speaking last February after the 27 EU leaders agreed the European Union’s internal energy market should be completed by 2014, Gonzi had said it is Malta’s intention to consider the installation of a natural gas pipeline.

This idea of having a power station operating on gas was shot down several times in Malta, first by then Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami in the mid-1990s, and lately by Finance Minister Tonio Fenech.

Mizzi said the Labour Party has long been stressing that Malta should go for a gas-fuelled power station.

“Similar advice was also given to Lawrence Gonzi by several other experts,” he said. “There was also a decision by the Cabinet itself which took this direction.”

However, Mizzi added, that for some reason “well known to Gonzi” existent decisions and conditions were permitted to change for the approval of the BWSC’s contract on the Delimara power station extension.

“This decision is going to cost the people €200 million in cash and much more in health,” Mizzi said.

“He [Gonzi] first authorized the extension which will operate with the most polluting oil, and now he is talking about the importance of gas use. To do so, however, the country will have to pay millions of euros, together with the millions it will pay for the polluting power station.”