Saturday, 4th October 2008 - 13:08CET

Updated: Government insists no decision has yet been taken on utility bill tariffs

The government has insisted that no final decision has yet been taken on the water and electricity tariffs.

The Infrastructure Ministry said in a statement this was so much so that it was agreed during the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development meeting last Wednesday that the social partners would meet again on October 18 to give the government their views on the proposals.

The General Workers Union this morning warned the government not to steamroll over the people with the planned hikes in utility bills. It said that no action should be taken without the consent of social partners.

GWU general secretary Tony Zarb said that in the 16 years that he has been dealing with the MCESD, social partners were hardly ever as united in their position, noting the statements issued by fellow social partners and the letter sent by the MCESD to the Prime Minister yesterday.

He said that the presentation given to the social partners on Wednesday, about the plans for the hikes, was not an exercise in consultation but an imposition. Infrastructure Minister Austin Gatt told the MCESD members that they had five options to chose from and that if they did not chose he would. “That’s not choice... actually in the circumstance it’s like being asked what you would rather be killed with; being thrown off a roof, shot or run over by a car...” he insisted.

He also commented on the fact that the auditors who came up with the report backing the five options had been working away at them since April, pointing out that the government kept this secret and even omitted these plans from the pre-budget document. “This is unacceptable and the government had better halt it’s plans,” Mr Zarb said.

But the ministry said that the October 18 date for the continuation of consultations was ironically requested by the GWU because its officials were going to be abroad on other dates.

It said it could not understand how while the union confirmed an appointment to continue discussing a proposal, but then said that the decision was already taken.

The ministry said it would be wiser for the social partners and the constituted bodies to use this time to analyse the proposals made by the government and see how these could be improved. Alternatively, they could come up with their own proposals.

The GWU also said this morning that its experts were currently going through the government’s presentation and calculating what it would mean for consumers in practical terms. But preliminary calculations already showed that the government’s suggested eco-discount scheme is “completely unrealistic, it said.

Mr Zarb said that the union’s official position would be made public in the coming days, when all the workings were finalised.

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Article © Allied Newspapers Ltd., printed on Sunday, November 22, 2009. This article is for personal use only, and should not be distributed.

Comments

G.Hoare (on 4/10/08)

I believe that there are people which take advantage of the social in my area you see people every week registering , so by right they are reciving subs from the goverment ,but what bugs me is that some of these people must be abusing the system , outside the social you see their parked car a brand new MERC or a BMW these cars cost alot of money and i can garantee you cannot buy a car if you are registering so these kind of people should be checked out and if they are abusing ,they get done for it as this is theft.Alot of them they register and soon after they go to work.

vincent magro (on 4/10/08)

xi hadd irid ihallas ghal energija u din trid tithallas kollha.tista taqbad il calculator u tifrixa fuq kullhadd kif sar f'l 1997 min sant u issa min gonzi, izda jekk ma kienx hemm ruh socjali dak inhar lanqas hemm illum.int ma tistax taqbad l-ispiza ta l-isptar u tifrixha fuq il pazzjenti.mela f welfare sosiety xi haga tpatti ghall-ohra jew pari minnha, ghalhekk hemm is-sisa,dazju,vat ecc... jekk ir-rati li thabbru jigu mplimentati jkolna komsultazzjoni farsa. jien m'ghandi xejn kontra li 30,000 li ma jifilhux ihalsu jitwieznu minn min jiflah aktar sakemm dawn ikunu verament ma jifilhux ihalsu. imma jekk minn 1.444 persuna li gew investigati, 1.045 instabu li qed jabbuzaw u twaqfitilhom l-ghajnuna, jidher car li kwazi zewg terzi ta dawk li nsejhulhom taht il poverty line, mhumiex hekk.nemmen ukoll li jekk l-abbuz ikun mifrux,inaqqas l-obligu morali ta korretteza ghax jghidu (mhux kulhadd hekk jghamel?) is-soluzzjoni ghanda tintlahaq bejn il-partijiet socjali kollha u min ma jkunx qed jaqbel ghandu jofri s-soluzzjonijiet ghax facli tikritika u toqod gallarija.minbarra id-decizjoni,ghandhom jigu ppublikati wkoll il-proposti u ghaliex ma ntlaqawx.

G.Hoare (on 4/10/08)

@ J Farrugia

So you consider that people that at the end of the week earns 122euro is a substaintial amont of money this is what alot of Maltese earn on a flat week ,why shouldnt they get help from the Goverment is it so bad ,some people dont choose to live on that amont but they do , if you give them a choice they rather have more income, but nobody is in anybody's pocket everybody to their own but to call us wasters because im 1 of them it makes me sick, i hope and pray you NEVER end up losing your job or end up on benefits because you will have no choice to accept the goverment subs towards the bills .

Mike Magri (on 4/10/08)

So... Now the gavernment, sive Hon. Austin Gatt, is `INSISTING`..(!!!!!!!!!!)..".... that no decision has yet been taken on utility tarriffs....." eehhhhhh

Then WHO SAID that these tarriffs will replace the prersent surcharge effective October 1st 2008, and with all the cheek, at the same time saying, that htese same tariffs are going to COST MORE THAN THE SURCHARGE ITSELF.....???!!!???!!!???

Answer............ The Hon. Minister Dr. Austin Gatt, of course....

Yes........ That`s right GonziPN et all.... Keep treating all of us as if we are some bunch of stupid idiots with an intelligent i.q. as that of a `Nemusa`....!!!!!

I guess 47% or so of the electorate deserve it..........

C.Scerri (on 4/10/08)

If these 30000 (or where they 40000?) are just using energy then their cheap quota should be capped at 1300U per year per person, above that, they should be made to pay the full amount (and in my opinion an extra 5%)!

I know a number of these "poor" ones living off the Social Security, in a Govt Flat, with A?C, Plasma TV's and other extra luxury items.

Like others, I am willing ot pay my dues but not pay for other social bummers.

Anthony Formosa (on 4/10/08)

This is nothing, this is just the begining, come on get real, from where do you expect that the deficit will be payed. S.W.A.T is coming, after all subsidies are gone then Health is next. And those who tare still expecting a reduction in the car reg, and travel, they must be prepared for an increase, with another nick nack. Where is the EU, or the EU is only good to reduce a few cents on the mobile call rates.

I Abela (on 4/10/08)

@ M Borg - Why don't you limit yourself to comment on the article instead of trying to correct somebody on something which you clearly don't understand either. I happen to know a thing or two on the subject so please allow me to correct you. 1) A hedging agreement and a hedge fund are actually opposite. 2) I seriously beleive that the government is lying when it said that they made a hedging agreement when the price of oil was $85 a barrel, in fact many questioned this statement but to date still the government didn't publish any agreement or invoices to back its statements. 3) WE elect governments and pay them from our own pockets to manage OUR country and OUR finances so people like A Mallia have every right to ask the government what is it that we are actually paying for oil. Why doesn't the government come clean and publish the actual invoices?

malcolm seychell (on 4/10/08)

@ G Mangion

No sorry those 30000 families are wasting energy not just using it

Not puttinga a limit for waste simply because you are registered to live in misery is madness

Many of them are living better then most couples and families. All it takes is register your baby as an unknown father, do not declare your income, work without proper documents etc etc

Honestly I have my doubts that 30,000 is a real figure, but if this is true then the government has some serious problems with poverty in Malta

In principle what the government proposed is good, if only the figures are realistic. If a realistic is given to all families, then yes everyone who wastes including those 30,000 should start paying for surcharge, with the exception of those families who really need(e.g who have serious illnesses)

G .Mangion (on 4/10/08)

@ j. farrugia

Quote: whether I like it or not. even if I don't have a penny. But I always paid my bills and no one ever came my way to help me pay these bills. And to add insult to injury there are more than 30,000 who are wasting energy and the people are paying for them besides paying for themsleves.
Mr, farrugia, these 30,000 are not wasting energy, they are using energy !!
do tell me what is wrong with that ? the Gov't always helped the less fortunate Families in the most possible way!!

M Borg (on 4/10/08)

@amallia
Wowww it seems you are a hedge fund manager just off wall street! Please respect one's own intelligence and if you don't understand hedging agreements just don't comment. Around a year or so MLP was insisting to hedge the price of oil..and the government did so...now you are critising the gov cause he did!
Hedging is a very delicate exercise and i'm am 100% sure that not gonzi nor Austin gatt decided on the price to hedge but qualified experts in economics took these decisions..i amallia thinks you know better...be my guest!

A Dimech (on 4/10/08)

xi dwejjaq sar fihom dawn il-PN. Hlief taxxi u affarajiet negativi ma tisghmax min ghandhom;

Manuel Micallef (on 4/10/08)

To J Farrugia

I would probably agree with you, IF (and a big IF) the PN government just highlighted before the election that this is what they will do if elected. Then, the people would have had a real choice based on truth.

The fact of the matter is though that PN did not say a thing about all this even though they knew well enough about it.

Claude Spiteri (on 4/10/08)

@J. Farrugia
Your latest diatribe reflects exactly your party's thinking about the energy hikes and their socio-economic effects on the population. You give the impression that you just don't care a hoot about anybody else as long as you're comfortable and would accept and bow your head to anything that your party, in its infinite wisdom, dictates. The great majority of the Maltese, including all employers and workers organisations think otherwise.

J Farrugia (on 4/10/08)

it seems to me that certain people think that this world owes them a living. If they were gullible enough to believe everything that politicians give them on election time it's not my fault. And I do not believe that these people ever voted GonziPN so dont give me tantrum. Those who live in glasshouses should never throw stones otherwise I will throw grenades in your way (metaphorically speaking). My conscience tells me that if I want electricity I have to pay the bills. whether I like it or not. even if I don't have a penny. But I always paid my bills and no one ever came my way to help me pay these bills. And to add insult to injury there are more than 30,000 who are wasting energy and the people are paying for them besides paying for themsleves. So if Jeremy and all the others have lights in their homes, they must pay, as I pay from my earnings. That is why I work, that is why I save and that is the reason why all these people are envious of common people like me.

Arnold Galea (on 4/10/08)

This is the price that people have to pay for the Democracy. As long as the Democracy we know remains as it is, this is what we will continue to get.

Politicians are failing societies all over the world. We must work hard and continue to erode the power that politicians have over the decisions that effect citizens.

The full potential of any country is hindered by most if not all politicians!!!!

l Galea (on 4/10/08)

@j farrugia
How do you know that the 30,000 are wasting energy etc and not using just enough or even not enough for their needs?

Since the Government is exempting them it means that they are not earning enough.

It also means that they are considered as being poor Mr Farrugia, while it appears you are not. Good luck to you.

As for who pays the bill, do you know that oil has continued going down and the US Dollar value has also gone down? So why add the surcharge and increase the charges?

So much for your social conscience and solidarity with those of your brethren who are in need!

I hope that you were not one of the protesters when the Labour Government wanted to increase water & electricity charges, for it means a nice u-turn and reasoning according as to who is in Government.

amallia (on 4/10/08)

how lovely jfarrugia, how .... can you please ask your gonzipn to state what price we are paying for the hedging agreement now that oil is at $93 per barrel.?

Jeremy J Camilleri (on 4/10/08)

Perhaps Jfarrugia can enlighten us as to what was being said six months ago?

Perhaps he can also enlighten us as to what HE was saying and BELIEVING six months ago.

j farrugia (on 4/10/08)

deartony can you tell us who will foot the bhill for oil shipments. Couldyou tell us why 30,000 are not paying anything while we common workers are shouldering their wastages. Someone has to pay the shipments of oil. othewise no oil will come our way. Will tony zarb and his cohorts pay the next shipment please to show solidarity with us common mortals.

Updated: Government insists no decision has yet been taken on utility bill tariffs

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