Muscat cut off from reality of high fuel costs – PN

The Opposition has hit out at Prime Minister Joseph Muscat after having been shown to have presided over the highest fuel price increases in the EU, in the last months

“Muscat confirms he is already cut off from the people... when the price of oil was at today’s level four years ago, Maltese motorists were paying 30c less on every litre of diesel and 24c less on every litre of petrol. Back then Muscat took to the streets in protest. Today he is hiding the truth and allowing prices to rise.”

The PN also laid into Muscat, who claims a €7,000 car allowance on top of his salary by forgoing one of the two government cars he is entitled to.

An analysis of fuel prices carried out by The Sunday Times of Malta showed that in November motorists in Malta paid the highest price for fuel across the EU.

The price of petrol was locked at €1.44 per in May until the end of the year after Muscat announced a 2c cut, and diesel was locked at €1.36 per litre.

After July, international oil prices, including oil products, started to drop. Malta’s petrol price on 3 November stood at 71c per litre, excluding taxes, almost eight per cent higher than Denmark, which came next at 66c per litre.

Diesel also followed the same pattern with the latest oil bulletin showing that motorists paid 73c per litre, tipping Denmark for the top spot.