MPs call for lower water surcharge

Labour MP Joe Mizzi argued in Parliament yesterday that with international oil prices having declined, the surcharge on fuel should be scaled back to 17 per cent, as it was when introduced.

Mr Mizzi said, during the debate on the Water Services Corporation, that the government was not keeping its promises with regard to the provision of water. For example, the people had been promised good quality water. That was far from being the case, especially in the south of Malta. What had become of the promised water polishing plant for Malta? Would the WSC official sign a sworn statement saying that tap water was completely safe and did not have any dangerous substances?

The number of samples that were being examined was far too low and monitoring was being manipulated. Experts knew that if samples were not tested immediately, nitrates and other dangerous substances were reduced and therefore the samples did not reflect the true situation.

Malta imported a lot of pesticides which ended up in the water table after use. Why did the government not regulate such exaggerated imports?

Even the Malta Resources Authority had confirmed on its website that water quality had deteriorated.

Mr Mizzi said the corporation was being mismanaged and employees were facing an uncertain future, fearing the same fate as Maltacom, which had been privatised.

The Labour MP said the setting up of three sewage treatment plants was running a year late. Because of the SmartCity project the government had decided to shift the planned plant at Ricasoli closer to Xaghjra and Marsascala. Was this fair to the residents of those localities?

Furthermore, the quality of water from the Sant'Antnin waste water treatment plant had deteriorated so much that farmers did not want to use it.

Mr Mizzi also complained that the government was not harvesting stormwater. Much was being made of flood relief projects but surely this rainwater could be channelled to galleries and reservoirs rather than the sea?

Where was the MRA's water conservation plan.

Mr Mizzi said that the WSC's annual report lacked proper figures to enable one to gauge if any progress was being made. What were the production costs throughout the whole production?

He said the government was hiding behind words like monopoly and restructuring in a bid to convince the people on the need to break up the corporation. But government documents to this end would be kept under wraps at least until the next general elections.

With regard to the surcharge, Mr Mizzi said that now that the government was boasting of increased efficiency at the corporation, one expected lower costs for consumers.

Now that the price of oil had dropped to the level it was when the surcharge was introduced, one would expect the surcharge to be scaled back to 17 per cent.

Labour was promising to halve the surcharge immediately on being returned to power.

Had there been a Labour government in power now, the surcharge would be much less than 17 per cent, Mr Mizzi said.

Labour MP Joe Abela said water was a scarce resource which needed to be cared for. He, therefore, agreed with the need for a proper plan for Malta to store and use rainwater.

The people needed to be more aware of the cost of water not least because water was even the cause of wars in other countries, especially the Middle East.

Mr Abela complained of excessive groundwater extraction through unauthorised boreholes, saying the aquifer was deteriorating as a result. An educational campaign was needed to stop this practice.

The Labour MP also insisted that the government should reduce the surcharge.

The debate continues today.