Consumer will pay for agriculture subsidies because of EU - Sant

The more time passed, the more people in the business, agriculture sector and the public in general were realising the effects of the agreement made by the government with the European Union, Labour Party leader Alfred Sant said yesterday.

MLP fears regarding the effects of the introduction of EU regulations were now being confirmed, he said.

Addressing supporters at a social activity in Siggiewi yesterday, Dr Sant said that the MLP had always insisted that the regulations were not suitable for Malta and now many were making their calculations and finding out that this was true.

Dr Sant said that in the agricultural sector, the government agreed to remove protection to farmers.

And in order to offer compensation for the farmers, it was to introduce new subsidies which will be paid for by the consumer through taxation.

However, Dr Sant added, not only would the subsidies not be enough to cover the damages to be suffered by the farmers through the protection removal, but agricultural production would be seriously undermined.

At the same time the consumers were being told that although they had to carry the burden of heavier taxes because of the new subsidies that the government would have to introduce, they would benefit from price reductions.

Dr Sant said that what the government was not telling consumers was that the price of many food products would have their price increased so that these would be on the same level with prices in EU countries.

The government was saying that it would be introducing new subsidies to be paid up from people's taxes to make up for the increase in the price of food, Dr Sant said.

He added that it is expected that families would consume more poultry since other meat would be more expensive.

He said that through the policy of partnership, Malta would be able to retain the balance between the interests of the consumer and those of the farmer within a framework of reasonable protection.

Addressing a social activity in Gozo on Friday, Dr Sant said a future Labour government would create new opportunities for Gozitans.

He said that the new year would be a year of big challenges which the new government would face and surmount.

A new Labour government would offer a sense of leadership and the new hope which was needed to lift the country from the stagnation it was in.

It would also be able to remove the prevailing uncertainty and would offer opportunities to Maltese and Gozitans to live a better life.

"A new Labour government would replace uncertainty and fear with concrete confidence," he said.