House to discuss impact of power surcharge

The House Business Committee yesterday agreed to an opposition request for a Parliamentary debate on the impact of the water and electricity surcharge but decided that this debate should not be preceded by another discussion in the Social Affairs Committee (SAC), as had also requested by the Opposition.

Marie-Louise Coleiro (MLP) insisted on the SAC debate, arguing that the committee could directly hear the views of people who were badly affected by the surcharge and social security experts. The committee could then make recommendations to the House ahead of the full debate.

Leader of the House Tonio Borg said the surcharge issue had already been amply discussed during the Budget debate and the Bill to implement Budget measures and it would come up again during the Enemalta estimates debate in the coming days.

Nationalist MP Mario Galea pointed out that the debates on the budget and the implementation of budget measures had taken 75 hours.

Opposition deputy leader Charles Mangion said that although Parliament's primary role was to enact legislation, it also had to discuss the people's concerns, such as the impact of the surcharge.

The government had never issued a social impact assessment on the surcharge and a request by the Opposition for a discussion within the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development was never considered.

Dr Mangion said that the latest Central Bank business perceptions survey highlighted the surcharge as a factor for low business confidence.

Later the committee agreed that a motion should be moved in the House giving the Public Accounts Committee the faculty to discuss financial policy in terms of the Central Bank Act, in view of a request for such a debate by the Governor of the Central Bank. This debate is planned for April 26.