Opposition leader Joseph Muscat this evening urged the government to withdraw the new water and electricity tariffs, saying that now that oil prices were back to 2007 levels, the hefty increases which had been announced were not needed.

Speaking in Parliament, Dr Muscat said that once the government had bought oil in advance, before prices fell, it should now buy fresh consignments at the current low price and average the cost for consumers, that easing the financial burden.

Furthermore, Key Performance Indicators should be established for Enemalta so as to identify and drastically reduce its inefficiencies.

The government should also better manage electricity demand between day and night. At present, demand during the day was far higher than during the night. Some demand should be shifted to the night by introducing preferential tariffs for families and industry. The WSC too should use its power thirsty RO plants at night more than during the day.

Speaking in reply to the Budget speech, Dr Muscat said Malta also start to use the millions of litres of treated sewage which was currently dumped at sea. Malta also needed an effective storm water plan, including reservoirs for rainwater.

Legislation was needed for all new building to include measures for alternative energy. Major projects should be required to produce 10 percent of their energy requirements from alternative sources.

The opposition was also proposing tough action to deter theft of electricity, which cost some €50 million a year.

There should be a total ban on traditional, incandescent bulbs and their replacement by energy saving bulbs.

Electricity bills should better explain consumption patterns and how electricity demand could be reduced.

The Opposition was also calling for a Green Band tariff which would realistically encourage people to save energy and not a farce as was the case of the eco-tariff.

Malta also needed an effective regulator to protect consumers and a sustained educational campaign on energy and water saving.

However, even without these measures, the tariffs did not need to rise.

The new tariffs had been introduced in October and were equivalent to a surcharge of 194 percent. Yet the oil price in October was at the same level as in October 2007 when the government itself declared that the surcharge without hedging and subsidies should have been 97 percent. By the end of October, in terms of the government’s figures, the surcharge should have been 61%.

The Opposition, therefore, was urging the government to withdraw the new tariffs, because they were not justified, Dr Muscat said.