Social partners call for measures to mitigate tariffs' impact
The social partners in the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development have called on the government to take measures to mitigate the impact of the new water and electricity tariffs.
In a joint statement read by chairman Sonny Portelli at the end of an urgently called meeting, the social partners said such measures had to ensure social and economic sustainability and safeguard the people’s interests.
The social partners expressed their disappointment that their suggestions on the tariffs presented to the government last Friday were not accepted.
Although the tariffs presented by the government yesterday were revised, they were still too high, the social partners insisted.
They said it was unacceptable that there had only been two meetings on such an issue and while they were still waiting for the government’s to go back to them with a reaction, the government opted to announce its decision to the media.
The least they expected, they said, was for the government to inform them about its decision before informing the press.
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23 Comments
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Twanny Galea
Oct 30th 2008, 16:14
Why is everyone asking for Joseph Muscat to find a solution, don't we know that we have voted for the PN to take care and manage our finances? I heard Austin Gatt say that he will tax consumption, how come meters are being taxed as well, or he thinks we are eating electricity meters now? Some people in here are critisizing Joseph Muscat that he is doing all for votes, What do they expect him to go and clap and congratulate the minister?
Wake up Maltese and see who must be accounted for? And one last thing its true that Alfred Sant made a gaffe but it was never materialised as not a single bill was paid as it was suggested, Why we can't do the same now?
A Fabri
Oct 30th 2008, 11:54
Well said Mr. Mizzi........what is good is good and what is bad is bad. afterall.
This is not about being PN or MLP.
PM have disillusion all of us before election and is putting it to A.Gatt...I am disappointed indeed putting it onto Oil prices, treating us like chickenheads.
I suspect that pro-govt comments in this blog have hidden agenda or maybe goodluck to the few whom can afford.....but for the majority the few extrabugs people can save at the end of the week will end up into Govt. pockets to make up for past & present mistakes.
C.Sapiano
Oct 30th 2008, 08:52
The question is - Would a left-wing government be better for the country? Wouldnt it increase spending for the 'poor' and increase problems? Would it help the middle-class more?
T Mifsud
Oct 30th 2008, 08:47
What would you do if, as a family man, you know that your expenses are greater than your income and eating in your savings with 2 months left of sustinence? I think, for me I would cut excess spending and instill some sort of sacrifice while encouraging members of the family to change to an alternative lifestyle, search for income options and expenditure savings.
I am not blind to say this is just the government's fault for not investing alternative energy in the past 20 years since the situations these last two year have caught the whole world by surprise and there fore we, as a mere dot on a map will nevertheless be affected by the financial and energy problem tsunami.
It is no time to be defeatist. It is time to demonstrate to the world of of our greatest strengths - that of unterminable Resilience in the face of onslaught. Malta passed through incredible traumatic times through the ages: invasions changing culture, the Great Siege, World War 1 and 2, the 80s. We're still here and look at us and around you! We've built this Malta through immense sacrifces. We see this one through!
H Dempster
Oct 30th 2008, 07:58
The Maltese character is to forget and forgive, so it is pointless all these anti PN scribbles, because by the next elections they will have forgotten. Not like me , I have an elephant's memory and do not forget nor forgive.
Karl Abela
Oct 29th 2008, 23:44
Trade Unions and similar organisations are like lawyers. They will defend you in court even when you're guilty. Thats where they make their living from. Trade Unions are not interested in the government finances (which will ultimately affect everyone), but only in the pockets of whoever pays them the membership fee. Well and good up to this point...
The real worrying problem arises when DR MUSCAT tries to turn the MLP into a trade union to win votes. In the very UNLIKELY event that Muscat becomes Prime Minister he would need to start thinking 'out of the box' and see the whole picture. The way he is acting now is like a child who has seen a bag of sweets and will do anything to get them, even at the cost of cheating or stealing. Dr Muscat should know well that a country in the EU cannot run beyond a certain level of deficit which in our case has been caused by endless years of subsidy on fuel for the domestic and industrial front. The man in the street might not know this, but MUSCAT is secretly aware of this fact. Beware of the wolf in a sheep's skin.
J Martinelli
Oct 29th 2008, 23:17
Frank Mizzi, do you have to be reminded, one mor time, that when Alfred Sant increased the rates even higher than whst they are now, the price of oil was $12.00 a barrel or less?
The price of oil now is five times that after coming down from being twelve times as much.
Does the price of oil not count at all?
Jimmy Sammut
Oct 29th 2008, 21:57
@Jason Borg
On the contrary Gonzi is so unpredictable that not even he knows what he is going to do tomorrow. A week ago he said publicly on Xarabank that tariffs will not be retro to 1st october, now he is silent when his assistants say that the date is in effect the 1st. Ftit ilu kien jghid do not judge me by what I say but by what I do, issa he is saying "judging me is futile, I do and say what I want, whenever I want to whomever I want.
Mario Bonnici
Oct 29th 2008, 21:36
Who is running the country?
Lawrence Gonzi or Austin Gatt??
Wilfrid Buttigieg
Oct 29th 2008, 21:20
This PN arrogance will not be forgotten. The nationalist party is paving the way for Joseph Muscat to be the next prime minister at age 39.
Keith Davis
Oct 29th 2008, 21:14
Can Mr. Frank Mizzi, Joseph Muscat or any other person enlighten us of any other solutions to pay energy fuels which Malta is paying? Should we continue subsidising daily consumption on people's swimming pools, hotels and the industry through taxes each and everyone of us pays?
Emanuel Vella
Oct 29th 2008, 21:06
Excerpt from yahoo news this evening. Further comments would be superfluous
"Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling confirmed Wednesday the relaxation of long-standing fiscal "golden rules" as the government struggles to tackle the global slowdown.
To apply the fiscal rules in a rigid manner today would be perverse. We would have to take money out of the economy, exacerbating an already difficult situation," he said in a hotly-anticipated speech in London.
Under so-called "golden rules" set by Gordon Brown when he became chancellor under then premier Tony Blair in 1997, the government notably pledged to keep debt under 40 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP)."
vincent magro
Oct 29th 2008, 20:57
l-anqas jien ma nifhem kif il-gvern habbar ir-rati l-godda qabel ma nforma lill-MCESD u nahseb kien nuqqas ta etika aktar minn kollox.
ghalkemm issa li r-rati thabru,xorta nemmen li l-gvern ikun lest li jiccaqlaq, jekk xi hadd mill-partijiet socjali jifforma bazi ta tariffi aktar gusti u li jigbru daqs ir-rati mhabbra mill-gvern,
ejja nighdu li il-gvern jghid li se jhalli ir-rati kif inhuma izda jhabbar li minnhabba f'hekk se nzidu d-dejn bhala pajjiz b'200.000 ewro. xi tkun ir-reazzjoni ta l-imsiehba socjali?
jghidulu prosit ghax ma zietx il-piz fuq il-familji u fuq l-industrija?
imma jkun zied il-piz fuq il-pajjiz!
u l-pajjiz min hu? il-gvern?
ma nahsibx. ladarba meta l-pajjiz ikollu l-flus ingawduhom ahna permezz tal-progetti u meta l-pajjiz ikollu d-dejn inbatuh ahna bit-taxxi taghna, mela l-pajjiz hu ahna lkoll.
G.Borg
Oct 29th 2008, 20:54
I am just a worker who bought a garage , several years ago, so that I can be able to garage my car and not leaving the car in front of my home. Normally, the water and electricity bill for the garage is only made of the service charges payable.
Now, how come that our Christian Democrat Nationalist Government applied his "social consience" by charging me more than 200% ( Eur 176 ) on top of the current charges Eur 84 on an annual basis, a total of Eur 260 if I got my arithmetic correct ? I hope I am wrong or am I embarking on a nightmare?
The least , the government can do is to treat such type of garages , used for domestic purposes only, as a residential unit and apply the same new service charges.
Or a worker owning a garage and used for domestic purposes , is now being considered as some kind of a cash cow etc etc.
Social Consience and Social Justice, my foot!!!!
However, there is still time to remedy this anomaly, but do they have the guts to admit and rectify any mistake?
J. Tonna
Oct 29th 2008, 20:53
As I have to start saving before the new Utilities Bill is received, can anyone of you remind me what are the new prices for both Water and Electricity, including the meter rentals, as I seem to have mislaid the whole lot?
Jerome Attard
Oct 29th 2008, 20:51
Pack up MCESD - Your government is not interested in what you or the sectors you represent have to say. Austin has all the answers, let us put all our trust in him. Please excuse his arrogance, that's just him.
Vincent Galea
Oct 29th 2008, 20:50
Sometimes I wish I lived in the desert.
There are no office buildings or factories.There we'll be no boss bossing me and no underlings.There are no towns and villages. I'd be neither on the wrong side nor on the right side, no wardens, no police, no big supermarkets. I'll be wearing the same shoes after 30 years.No depression about financial problems, no recessions, no redundancies, no oil crisis, no water and electricity tariffs.
It's nice to spend some time in the desert. Join me ?
Joseph Brincat
Oct 29th 2008, 20:47
MCESD morru orqdu, x'inthom issahhnu is-siggijiet ghal xejn. Ghax ma hattux il parir tieghi meta ikkumentajt il-gimgha l-ohra biex thallu l-gvern jaffeg, ta' l'anqas ma tidhrux komplici mieghu,
Issa mhux jaghddiekhom biz-zmien qieghed imma jinjorakhom ghal kollox.
Anthony Mizzi
Oct 29th 2008, 20:33
As the Maltese saying goes " Il-Gidieb ghomru qasir" ,- “ Lies tend to have a short lifespan”. Locally it is about 7 months. March to October.
It appears that Dr. Gonzi and his Cabinet are repeatedly being asked to go to the Leader of Opposition on solution to the crisis they brought about. Did not know that Joseph Muscat was offering consultancy to the Prime Minister......
All GonZIPn and followers seem to want are solutions and problem solving from Dr. Joseph Muscat .
frank mizzi
Oct 29th 2008, 20:24
I feel sorry for all the pro government comments when at this sort of situation I would back down and shut up cause after all this mess I would be shy saying something in favour . People like Jason Borg seem that they are not living in Malta cause they are always defending this government . I am one of those who voted pn but definitely not for this sort of PN .
When Alfred Sant did the same i was the first one to protest but now I am sorry to say that we are in a worst situation and I feel more sorry that it is my government , which I elected, that is doing this .
Jason Borg
Oct 29th 2008, 20:09
Two weeks have passed and from the opposition we didn't here any alternatives ...any suggestion... it seems that Muscat is still working his tariffs , the ones he promised on the 8 th September.
Today he addressed the nation on Super one ending his address with the national anthem , I was waiting for him to announce the MLP's tariffs..but instead he said that he will organise a protest , without knowing when and where... Muscat is soooo predicitable..
joe ferrante
Oct 29th 2008, 19:49
GattPN is showing his arrogance to the maximum . Now that there is going to be a protest we should all unite for the national interest .
STOP THIS ARROGANCE
V.Micallef
Oct 29th 2008, 19:34
Some people still need to be provided more proof of the arrogance of the Gonzi-Gatt duo in government. Will they never learn? Never?