'Resources minister has dismal record'

The opposition has accused George Pullicino of deceiving the public throughout his first year as Minister for Resources and Rural Affairs.

Labour Party spokesman Leo Brincat said Mr Pullicino was dragging his feet on the publication of studies conducted on wind energy and the proposed wind farms and were it not for the opposition, the solid waste management strategy would have never seen the light of day.

He said the fact the government was considering the installation of an incinerator proved its failure to implement the three basic waste management principles: reduce, reuse and recycle.

Mr Brincat added that the energy-saving bulbs promised by Mr Pullicino, had not yet been distributed, 11 months after they were promised by the Nationalist Party during its electoral campaign. He said the Malta Resources Authority was also delaying unnecessarily and without justification the processing of applications for the alternative energy subsidy scheme.

Mr Brincat said the government did not identify the priorities or estimate the cost of most of the measures proposed in the climate change strategy.

He also said regulations had not yet been enforced on energy conservation in buildings under construction.