Online poll | 57% say fuel prices cutting into their daily income

56.89% of the 3,111 respondents to a MaltaToday online poll agreed that fuel prices are affecting their daily income.  40.05% of respondents disagreed, saying that, despite being more expensive than the EU average, fuel prices have not hurt their pockets.

The poll was released a day before Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi announced a 4c reduction in fuel prices, effective as from 1 February, and the poll was left open until 6 February. 

The government's reason for this recent reduction was that Enemed had recently closed a number of transactions. Mizzi also said that further fuel price reductions are set to follow once the government’s current fuel hedging agreements expire in the coming months.

However, the Opposition said that the 4c reduction was not enough and that Malta’s fuel prices are still the fourth most expensive in the European Union.

"It is obvious that this decision is down to our pressure, and not because the government really wants to reduce prices,” the PN said in a statement. “[The] decision confirms how right the Opposition was in insisting that fuel prices decrease."

They have presented a motion in Parliament calling on the government to reduce fuel prices to a ‘substantial’ level that reflects the current downwards trend in the global price of oil. They have also called on the government to publish its fuel hedging agreements.