GRTU presses for EU decision on surcharge

The Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises - GRTU is urging Labour MEPs to exert pressure on the European Commission to take a decision over its official complaint on the water and electricity surcharge.

The GRTU contends that through the surcharges the government is breaching European Union directives.

During a meeting with Labour leader Alfred Sant yesterday to discuss the party's draft plan on industry, GRTU president Paul Abela said the GRTU was in agreement with the themes of the Labour Party's draft plan on industry.

The GRTU said it was particularly pleased that the MLP had said it would give priority to enterprise.

He said that as things stood the economy was driven by regulation rather than enterprise. Administrators were too keen to draw up new regulations and standards and impose them on businessmen.

He appealed to the MLP to ensure that its plan was enterprise-driven and stressed that more than 60,000 jobs were created by small businessmen.