Muscat to present motion in Parliament to repeal new MEPA tariffs

“It is not true that tariffs will only hit speculators and middle-class people, as the Nationalist Government has claimed,” Muscat told the crowd.

Muscat revealed that with the new tariffs, the price for an internal alteration would rise by 400%, while that for a penthouse will rise by 72%.

The permit for a garage has gone up by 100%, while a compliance certificate has increased by 400%, the Labour leader explained.

Moreover, the tariffs for an environmental and development brief will increase by 400 times, the tariffs for land reclamation will rise by 33 times, while a change of use will rise by 400%

“The PN has claimed that it did would not introduce taxes by stealth. This was more than stealth,” Muscat insisted.

Asked about the Government’s walkout from last Wednesday s Public Accounts’ Committee meeting which had put on the agenda the Delimara power station extension contract, Muscat did not mince his words.

“When they hear the following words: BWSC, the PN get very cross and very angry,” Muscat said with a tinge of sarcasm.

“What happened in the PAC raises more questions: why are they doing so, whom are they defending and why,” Muscat insisted.

He warned that this issue could lead to a €400 million fine from the European Commission about this mess.

PAC Chairman Charles Mangion had “the right to raise the BWSC Auditor Report on the agenda,” he added.

The PN had complained that they had learnt from the media that the PAC was going to discuss BWSC from the media. “This is not a valid excuse since the Labour Opposition often hears from the media that the Government is going to present some bill or other in Parliament,” Muscat lamented.

Muscat explained that in the PAC, the Opposition wanted to testify “all those involved in the Delimara power station extension contract: Former Enemalta Chairman Alex Tranter, as well as David Spiteri Gingell.

“We also wanted to get to testify BWSC agent Joe Mizzi, who earned €4 million as a result of the award of the contract,” Muscat charged.

He also highlighted that in the PAC there was also Nationalist MP Charlo Bonnici, “who works with Zaren Vassallo”.

Muscat revealed how last Thursday, journalist dean Godfrey Grima had spoken about “money in Cyprus”. However “nobody had said anything about this”, he insisted.

He challenged the Government to permit the media to film the PAC hearing about the Delimara power station extension.

“Why should there be any difficulty for the media to film the BWSC hearing in the PAC?” he asked. “We know that PBS will not broadcast parliament because PBS only broadcasts Bondi Plus and from a square!” he said sarcastically.

Muscatagain devoted a substantial part of his intervention to the electricity bills and their mismanagement by ARMS Limited.

Asked whether ARMS was “a ghost that is putting people under the poverty line”, Muscat quipped that “if ARMS is a ghost, then his owner is Lawrence Gonzi.  He gave the go-ahead for the appointment of a structure which is inefficient and which is insensitive,” he insisted.

He reiterated his criticism to Finance Minister Tonio Fenech for allowing ARMS to send legal letters by a non-existent legal office which were not signed.

“Fenech said that he might have signed the letter.  The last time I have seen something so serious against the consumer was the European City Guide matter,” Muscat lamented.

He explained that ARMS had received more than 2,000 complaints daily. “We have a situation where 10,000 have still not received their energy voucher and thousands more have not received a bill from ARMS Limited,” Muscat insisted.

“This will lead people to consume less,” he added.

“The bill sent by Lawrence Gonzi is competing with the income for the middle class as well as with essential income for families,” Muscat reiterated.

Tonio Fenech had still not replied to the accusation made by a whistleblower about the works at his private house in Balzan “but has replied to defend ARMS Limited,” he insisted.

Referring to the news that Spiteri Gingell, had earned more than €100,000 in consultancies with an hourly rate of €80 from a single Ministry, Muscat explained that  “if we had to get a good service, I would not complained; however we are getting a lousy service.”

It had been two weeks since the Labour Opposition had presented a motion in Parliament calling for the Auditor General to investigate ARMS Limited and the award of € a 50 million tender for smart meters, but until now, it had not been presented by the Government for discussion.

“The more time passes without Gonzi presenting the motion, we will hold him personally responsibly for the disastrous situation this has created for the Maltese people,” Muscat warned.

Asked about the issue of black dust and how the PN had ten years to change the situation but Gonzi was now saying that black dust “does not exist”, Muscat express his the Opposition’s surprise as they were reading through the answers to the PQs on Monday evening.

“We were aghast in Parliament when Gonzi said in Parliament that black dust does not exist,” he explained. “Faced with this negative reaction, Gonzi has now proposed a select parliamentary committee on the issue of black dust 24 hours later,” he insisted.

Muscataccused Gonzi of making this u-turn on the issue “not borne out of genuine concern for the plight of residents, but to public opinion”.

“With this motion, the Government is admitting that it has failed to do something about this problem—this is an admission of mediocrity,” he charged. Labour, would take part in the committee “but we will be vigilant and we will not trust MEPA and Enemalta regarding the black dust issue.

“MEPA and Enemalta have often issued contradictory statements about the matter,” he charged.

Muscatrecalled how Professor Edward Mallia had explained how the black dust was caused by Enemalta switching on the turbines at night at the Marsa power station “so as not to show the black dust”.

A total of 200 tons of ash had come out from Marsa power station as a result of this practice, Mallia had revealed.

“Enemalta has not replied to Prof Mallia’s assertions,” Muscat charged. “I trust more Prof Mallia than Enemalta on this serious matter!” he insisted.

Moreover, the Government had also tied itself to certain targets on climate change. “We cannot trust them if they are really implementing them!” he charged.

Asked on the issue of the renewal of Identity Cards, Muscat explained how the PL was making “pressure in Parliament regarding the issue of ID cards. On the Government side, they have claimed that the delay had been the result of “a delay in obtaining EU funds as well as in the selection of the winning bidder”.

MEP Edward Scicluna has also tabled a PQ at the EP “regarding why the EC was holding back EU funds for Malta.  We will be vigilant and not permit abuse,” he warned.

“If the Government is not afraid of anything, then it should renew all ID Cards immediately rather than extending them each year,” he Muscat insisted.

The PL would be announcing measures in this respect “which will ensure that those who have the right to vote do so, and those who do not have the right to vote do not”.