Sant insists electricity surcharge not justified

Opposition leader Alfred Sant insisted once more yesterday that the government did not need to impose a surcharge on electricity since the international price of oil had dropped below August levels.

In August the prime minister had said the government would absorb the costs, Dr Sant pointed out in an adjournment speech in parliament.

The imposition of a surcharge now would reflect incoherence in the government's thinking, Dr Sant said.

It would also reinforce the view that the surcharge would only be part of a hidden agenda where the government used the issue of international oil prices to hide Enemalta's inefficiency. Should the surcharge be imposed, on what oil price level would it be pegged? The Labour leader also spoke on the proposed construction of a new parliament on the opera house site, saying this was clearly another attempt to deviate public attention.

How could the government consider such a project when it was in such financial straits?

The Labour government of 1996-1998 had tried to face the issue of redeveloping the site through a private public partnership but the plans were shelved by the PN government.

Now the government had decided to rebuild the site as a parliament building without even consulting MPs.

Was it serious of the government to create this diversion, he asked.