GRTU presses for cheaper utility bills

The Chamber for Small and Medium Enterprises - GRTU has presented its recommendations on electricity bills to the Malta Resources Authority.

The report, presented to MRA chairman Carmel Ellul by GRTU director general Vince Farrugia, analyses the new utility prices from the point of view of small and medium enterprises and the impact caused "as a result of the discriminatory element included".

The GRTU insisted prices were biased against small enterprises and favoured larger ones.

It said that, while it favoured the government's intervention to support exporters competing in "very difficult international markets", it did not accept that this support was given at the expense of smaller enterprises.

It said the "discriminatory element" in the prices was the cause of unacceptable difficulty faced by small businesses in the current market conditions.

Mr Farrugia emphasised the need for more favourable prices as a "compensatory element" to make up for the exceptional burdens being suffered by smaller enterprises.

Mr Farrugia, who is representing the Nationalist Party in the European parliamentary elections, has said he would stop commenting about "controversial" and "non-technical" matters on the union's behalf.