Prime Minister to meet GRTU over tariffs
But insists capital investment cannot be postponed
The Prime Minister lost a golden opportunity to bring unity between the social partners and the government, and instead invited people to demonstrate, the Chamber for Small and Medium Enterprises -GRTU said.
In a letter addressed to Lawrence Gonzi, the chamber said that through Wednesday's speech in Parliament, the Prime Minister could have appealed to social partners to overcome the challenges ahead.
Instead, Dr Gonzi continued to insist on the water and electricity tariffs, which did not make sense and did not have the necessary realistic economic backing. "We appeal to you not to insist on it any more."
The GRTU proposed that the tariffs be introduced gradually over a period of five years.
It requested a meeting with the Prime Minister to present him with its proposals, saying now was the time for the government to invest a lot more to reinvigorate and restructure the economy.
The invitation was accepted promptly by the Prime Minister who published a letter he sent back to the chamber a few hours after the GRTU's letter reached the press.
However, the Prime Minister insisted that he could not agree that the capital investment on Enemalta should be postponed, as suggested by the GRTU.
The investment was needed on one hand to strengthen the energy generation capability of the corporation and on the other because it was a productive economic investment at a time when such injection is needed.
This was the government's declared strategy. "I have no problem borrowing money" for projects which are economically productive in the right measure and if the need arises, he said. But he stressed that the government had purposely chosen not to borrow money to subsidise consumption.
Still, the GRTU insisted in its letter that the tariffs were unjust with all sectors of Maltese enterprise and a heavy burden on families.
The country needs to become an "intelligence-based economy" rather than one filled with "muscle-based enterprise".
"We want you to be more courageous. We want you to change your strategy which has left us out of breath due to the limited ideas in the budget."
Why stop all financial support to Enemalta and the Water Services Corporation altogether, now, when enterprise is facing all these difficulties, the chamber asked.
It called for a proactive approach to turn the crisis into a time of opportunity and investment.
"This is a time of opportunity not just of fear," the letter concluded.
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mario mifsud
Nov 14th 2008, 21:01
@j martinelli
there we go again ..two weights two measures
I voted for EU because I thought it was best for Malta
I voted PN in the last election since it was the best choice (at that time)
I also voted for A.Sant because it was the best choice
I hop on to the best vehicle which is available at that moment
and I will keep on doing so
as I said ..people like you and J farrugia have forged this arrogant behaviour in our politicians
being MLP or PN ...
I never vote again for persons who break promises or try to take me for a ride
If youre happy with that ..suit yourself
J Martinelli
Nov 14th 2008, 16:15
@ J Farrugia
I couldn't have said it better myself.
@ mario mifsud
We will wait for the EP elections and elect a few Johnnies come lately jumping on the European bandwagon after having tried to derail joining the European Union for years! Same kind of a classic U-turn by none other than Joseph!
Mario, you should be accustomed to being taken for a ride by the MLP ! If you are of a certain age, you were taken for an Integration ride, an anti-EU ride, an anti-Euro ride, a devaluation of the Lira ride etc. You must have a high mileage odometer by now - not in a Jaguar but in a Tin Lizzie (if you know what that is).
NEVIL DEBATTISTA
Nov 14th 2008, 14:56
I never imagined that Mr. Gonzi was weak enough as to allow himself to be manipulated by one of his ministers whom I never suspected to be so hardheaded and naive as he has proved himself to be. When in opposition the then leader of the opposition ( of which Dr.Gonzi
and Dr.Gatt formed part ) used to repeat ad nauseam that Alfred Sant was a man who had lost his sense of direction and who only listened to what his calculator had to say. Today, sixteen years later, after repeated promises before the election Mr. Gonzi is faring much much worse than Alfred Sant.
lgalea
Nov 14th 2008, 14:25
"A government is there to govern in the best interests of the whole nation" which the Gonzipn Government isn't doing.
mario mifsud
Nov 14th 2008, 12:36
dear j.farrugia
i bet you was and still are, always in favour of what a labour gov did
or is two weights and two measures
being a gov is not an excuse for doing what ever comes to your mind
this has given our politicians this arrogant stance because whatever they do there is still someone naive enough to vote for them and back them come shine or rain
J Farrugia
Nov 14th 2008, 12:00
Governments cannot change financial strategies, otherwise they wont be a government at all. And what is this MCESD which is trying to usurp the prime minister's and the cabinet's duties? A government is there to govern in the best interests of the whole nation. Otherwise it would be a nobody, no government at all.
mario mifsud
Nov 14th 2008, 11:50
It is obvious why Gonzi did not make this invitation. It is not him running the show.
And also we dont want to come to a solution now ... we will wait till the EU parlament election to ease off a bit the tariffs
Just wait and see ..
Oh boy what a ride .. maybe better than a ride in a Jaguar ..