Water tariffs to remain unchanged

The water tariffs are to remain unchanged because the cost base for water production has remained practically unchanged, Infrastructure Minister Austin Gatt said this afternoon.

Enemalta yesterday announced it had proposed tariff reductions averaging 22 percent for electricity.

Dr Gatt said the power tariffs would be reduced following a 16.7 percent drop in costs for the generation of electricity.

He said the biggest chunk of that drop was the decline in oil prices, which meant that Enemalta's oil bill since October had fallen to €159.4 million from €223.

Dr Gatt insisted that the reduced tariffs would not be backdated and there would be no refund for bills issued since October.

He said the new tariffs and the cost base still had to be confirmed by the Malta Resources Authority, but Enemalta was obliged to introduce the new tariffs by April 1.