Government should provide 'immediate' compensation to families - PL

In a statement issued on Friday, the PL said that in the last budget, government burdened Maltese and Gonzitan families by increasing utility prices by €14 million, while also increasing tax on petrol, diesel and petroleum.

Since then, the PL said, the pressure on Maltese and Gozitan families has only continued to grow, “due to the decision through which Lawrence Gonzi’s government repeatedly and astronomically raised the prices of fuel and gas.” The PL said that these decisions are having a negative effect also on industry, “with the result that production has become more expensive.”

This is resulting in a situation where consumer prices are increasing, also additionally burdening families that are receiving less and less disposable income, the PL said. This aside, the party added, statistics issued by the European Union show an increase in Malta’s cost of living that is far higher than the European average.

“Lawrence Gonzi’s government shouldn’t need to wait until the end of March to carry out studies to determine the negative impact on Maltese and Gozitans,” the PL said, adding that it is common knowledge that the country is suffering from added burdens stemming from rising cost of living and ever-increasing energy prices.

The PL reiterated how despite the austerity measures, the government “found no problem with giving itself a weekly increase of €600, while granting workers a weekly €1.16 increase.”

The PL urged the government to assist families “immediately” through “substantial assistance” to make good for the increases in energy prices that the government had introduced.