Green MEP slams surcharge proposal

John Mifsud

Mar 6th 2008, 13:19

Why the heck should I pay for mistakes done by wrong people in the wrong places!?
Want to pay less for electricity?...how about implementing sources of gathering of energy from the sun/wind...like other eu countries are doing?

Ok..given paying less surge-charge benefits everyone...
aren't we just sweeping the dust under the carpet?

why aren't we implementing what other EU countries are doing?!

Anthony Mizzi

Mar 6th 2008, 13:18

Mr Claude Turmes might just think of changing his opinion if he just experiences one of the surcharged bills the local households receive.

And most certainly also benefit Claude Turmes if experiences our cost of living and wages for a little while and not just hop over , make a pre-electoral declaration and than go on his way.

Mr. Claude Turmes comments on alternative energy sources like wind and sun seem to be conveniently missing from this article.

p. conti

Mar 6th 2008, 13:18

Mr Abela be informed that by installing the interconnector to italy is not enough . By that time delimara will produce 65% of the load. We'd still need to install the wind turbines. That will be the major project to be done. Regarding shutting down due to the directive is what both parties are happy about. We could always change over marsa to gas. Don't forget back in 92 COAL was phased out .

J. Zarb

Mar 6th 2008, 12:32

Mr Galea I take it that you are not a parrot columnist then? your rhetoric makes no sense in today's world.......if you cannot see beyond the tip of your nose then perhaps you should try harder...myopic sensation is a common infliction for some sections of the community in Malta and Gozo!

tony abela

Mar 6th 2008, 12:25

I quote Mr Turmes's last paragraph: The major political challenge for the next Maltese government was to rapidly design a strategy on how Malta could link to Italy and Europe for an electricity interconnection.

It seems that Mr Turmes if quoted correctly by the Times, is not much of an expert in the field.

By linking to Italy and Europe, what is going to be solved as regards wastage and environmental damage?

It will only solve the problem that will be inherited from the PN Government that the Marsa Power Station has to be closed down to meet the EU Directives and the Delimara generation will not be enough to supply 50% of Malta's requirements.

I think yes, the new Labour Government has to work very fast and get the necessary energy from Italy, as otherwise it seems that we have two choices: either keep breaking the EU Directives and pay the fines or live in the dark and the cold for 12 hours a day.

Mr Turmes you did not impress me if you were quoted correctly. The surcharge does not come in the equation of your proposal.

C.Pace

Mar 6th 2008, 12:21

Nobody in Malta can disagree that paying less for electricity is a good thing. We would all be happy to pay less and if this policy is going to save us money at the end of the day then yes, the surcharge proposal seems to be a good thing.

HOWEVER, a Labour governments commitment to subsidise half of the surcharge for a full 5 years means that it needs to generate additional income to do so. The electorate has the right to know how this extra income will be generated..will the 'normal' electricity charge go up ? Will the total surcharge be increased (before it is halved) ? Will VAT or income tax rates increase ?

As the electorate we have a right to know, but the Labour party has falled short of informing us exactly what the surcharge proposal means in terms of needing other revenue sources.

In short, I feel that we are jumping the gun if we vote for a surcharge reduction without knowing the full consequences. Look what happened with VAT and CET last time around. This time, a lower electricity bill will not necessarily mean more savings for the family.....

Ray Gatt

Mar 6th 2008, 12:02

Mr. Michael Ellul, do you honestly believe that with Sant's carrot of halfing the surcharge we the citizens will be saving money which we'll put away for better use? Don't you realise that if Sant's proposal goes into effect, he'll have to collect the other 50% from somewhere else. The bill maybe? Since everytime asked about it he continually refuses to answer as in the majority of the questions asked. Dr. Sant does not care about the economy, he does not care what the euro socialists are saying, he just wants to grasp power. Be very careful Maltese voters. Do not give Dr. Sant the chance to betray you again as in '96.

Joe Galea

Mar 6th 2008, 11:57

I am putting it simply like this: Those who are environment paladins saying halving of surcharge is so bad, should go in the streets and protest against it when it will be implemented. To consolidate their beliefs they should apply to pay the surcharge in full.
So shurchrge is bad, illegal buildings outside ODZ like that of JPO is good. How pathetic!!!
GonziPN parrots should apply with this newspaper as parrot columnists.

pierre conti

Mar 6th 2008, 11:57

It's easy that one would say he'd give renewables a high priority. But as usual Dr Sant never says how. It's easy to criticize. How will these be financed, by cutting off the surcharge to put more pressure on enemalta's finance. Or to save on energy we'd resort to systematic power cuts or switching off our street lighting. Giving out energy saving lamps is at least a good start. Maltese people still don't know how to use electricity wisely, like leaving all their tvs, etc. on standby. Thus wasting approx 30 euro yearly per tv.

J. Zarb

Mar 6th 2008, 10:49

The question of climate change and the high cost, in the broadest possible terms, is sufficient basis to see that any incentive for citizens to use up precious natural resources is not the answer to a successful political strategy. In today's environmentt, being competitive means we need to be sustainable and certainly halving the surcharge is far from sustainable, so I say and so say the EU MEPs who recognize good sense!

tony abela

Mar 6th 2008, 06:54

Your quotes do not surprise me. But it would have made more sense if these Green people pushed forward the Alternative Energy option.

If you or the Greens think that the average Maltese family will waste energy because the surcharge is halved, they do not know how the average Maltese family is struggling to make ends meet.

By halving the Surcharge, Labour will not be encouraging energy waste. It is those with swimming pools who can afford the luxuries who with the 50% surcharge or the 100% surcharge they still have no problems to make ends meet.

You and the Greens should have criticised the lack of plans by the PN in government to push forward the Alternative Energy Schemes and to fall short from the EU Targets.

You and the Greens know very well that we will not meet these EU Targets.

On the contrary, Labour Plan for a New Beginning puts alternative energy high on its list of priorities.

R Caruana

Mar 6th 2008, 05:47

Funilly enough the surcharge proposal was not slammed by AD (not during the electoral campaign, at least). I guess they were too busy slamming PN to gain some extra votes.

J. Borg

Mar 5th 2008, 21:33

At last, we have it on good authority that this initiative has no basis for sustainable development and does, in fact, promote a culture of waste in the energy sector! Now perhaps we may look out for another U Turn in the lasr few days before the election1

ALBERT FENECH

Mar 5th 2008, 18:36

I have a very good idea to share with Mr. Claude Turmes, an idea which should make him very happy. He should launch an appeal to the electorate that when the MLP is elected this week-end, he should invite all Maltese householders who DO NOT WANT their household surcharge to be halved to write to the Government and refuse to accept the halving of the surcharge. Those who are really keen should also write in and ask for their surcharge to be DOUBLED. I wonder how many letters the new Government will be receiving?

clive demicoli

Mar 5th 2008, 18:30

This is the truth about Sant's policies. Populist in nature, bereft of any economical sense. Halving the surcharge is a licence to waste. The refund on education is another nightmare, a bureaucratic one leaving loophole upon loophole for tax evasion! CET comes quickly to mind. These are measures that will hurt the maltese economy.

ALBERT FENECH

Mar 5th 2008, 18:02

So maybe the MLP should propose to double the surcharge because Claude Turmes says so. In your attempts to pin some kind of slur on a future MLP Government you do print a load of obscure nonsense. No doubt you are thinking in line with Lou Bondi who pulled Verheugen out of a hat like a magician's rabbit in an attempt to embellish the prospects of an ailing GonziNP. Do you think you are going to change the mind of the Maltese electorate?. Perhaps the Greens would like to make a suitable donation to the Malta Exchequer so that energy prices may become subsidised and therefore lift the awful imposition that has been placed on Malta's household budgets. Or even better - shall we do without energy at all and go back to the dark ages and live in darkness to keep the European lobby happy? Prospective PM Alfred Sant has already promised to fully investigate alternative methods of energy supplies. Are you never satisfied? Further more, are you aware of the outrage of the British electorate because private energy companies have pumped up energy prices so high they are making billions of pounds sterling worth of profit at the expense of household consumers and they are urging the British (Labour) Government to act so that these companies will halve the current British costs of energy they are supplying? These finer points seem to somehow elude your columns.

Michael Ellul

Mar 5th 2008, 17:38

Hey MR Green MP note that with 50% surchage reduction from what currently we pay electrcity will still be at a high expense. Also note that we maltese are not ignorant and the money we will be saving we will do our best to give them to our kids in a better life for them. So don't worry we will not be using electricity irresposibly maltese people are family orientated and we will put the saved money where necessary in our lives in the intrest of our kids mostly.

Joseph Aquilina

Mar 5th 2008, 17:25

Mr Turmes, Dr.Sant does not care if this is good for the environment or not, he does not even care what the Socialist Group at the European Parliament are saying and he care even less if this reform could put Malta on the brim!! All he cares for is getting elected and he is ready to say or do anything for it – and AD are helping him to do so!!