Cost of living creating economic and social problems - PL

Mark Galea

Jun 24th 2009, 21:45

@Galea. L
Once there was a government (way back in 1996) which resigned ... and gave the maltese majority the chance to move forward ... and that same majority is still valid for the next 4 years ... and do not come and tell me about the EU elections. Talk about winning/losing GENERAL elections, my friend.

J. Schembri

Jun 24th 2009, 21:16

@lgalea and others : what you're saying here against retailers has not been said by Dr Mangion. As usual he's sitting on the fence.
The last political illusionist was Dr Alfred Sant , he used people like you to give us the impression that he has THE solution. He never had such a thing he was learning on the job.Readers should differentiate between what officially the PL sates and what is written by its elves.
That the cost of living is a cause of concern I fully agree , I also say that Dr Gonzi made mistakes during the economic 'storm' which hit the whole world. Given the circumstances I think that he didn't make many mistakes . Gonzi' mistakes do not automatically qualify Dr Joseph as the least bad option for PM.

lgalea

Jun 24th 2009, 18:45

E Gatt
Perhaps you are living in another galaxy because the EU itself introduces trade restriction through customs duties, levies and other measures on products from countries outside the EU. if it really believed in free trade then it would have done away with all restrictions, but it preaches one thing and does another.

Corinne Vella
Maybe you can try things, but what about service, spares, customer care which are nearly non-existent with local suppliers? To give you one example, a pair of vision glasses complete with a frame of your choice, polarized clip on, hardening etc comes to less than Lm14 when ordered on line? Local companies wouldn't even start when you compare prices.

Corinne Vella

Jun 24th 2009, 17:18

Wally Vella-Zarb: There's something called economies of scale. The ability to move large volumes of merchandise without the need for retail outlets reduces the cost of doing business. There is a cost to stocking and displaying goods, and there is an advantage to being able to see and try out something before you buy it, and for that there is a price. The price advantage of buying online is offset by the disadvantage of waiting for delivery that is sometimes doesn't happen at all. Thankfully, as in most things, we have a choice.

wally vella-zarb

Jun 24th 2009, 17:03

@E Gatt

"Large companies enjoy economies of scale and can afford to pass on some of their savings to consumers"

Likewise, local importers ought to be able to negotiate better prices than I can get with my on-offs and pass on the savings to local clients - but they don't. They never did, believing instead in a mentality that the prices are fixed as high as (what used to be) the captive market can take. Their loss, not mine.

In any case, at the time of bulk buying there was no internet yet, so the rest of your argument is irrelevant and does not hold water.

E Gatt

Jun 24th 2009, 16:06

@ Wally Vella-Zarb

That is because you and I now have the freedom of choice that we enjoy thanks to successively electing a Nationalist government. Large companies enjoy economies of scale and can afford to pass on some of their savings to consumers via internet sales. Traditional retailers in Malta and the rest of the world are feeling the pinch and will continue to do so. One option would be to re-introduce state bulk-buying, price-control boards, and restrictions on internet trade – no thank you!

wally vella-zarb

Jun 24th 2009, 14:58

@ John Scembri

"Yawn. The cost of living is creating headaches to everyone everywhere all over the world."

Maybe so. But then, how come I can buy things via the internet, pay for postage and handling - yet still manage to pay a fraction of what I would have to pay were I to opt for (most of) the local importers? I am not a 'millionaire living in ivory towers'. I am merely a simple pensioner.

g. scerri

Jun 24th 2009, 14:50

I tend to agree in part with Mr. Ferrigi. When I was last in London I bought a water filter for a member of my family only to find that the product was available in Mata, AT THE SAME PRICE.
On the other hand, did we need to pay I don't know how many thousand euros to have the counting of the EP election done on private property, when gov could easily have utilised public properties? And that is but a small example of unnecessary spending.

d bugeja

Jun 24th 2009, 14:42

it is true. the cost of living is leaving families to struggle to make ends meet.

mario gellel

Jun 24th 2009, 14:14

Has Inflation exploded in Malta ? Just ask the local grocers. they will explain you how a new kind of begging has started and that is of families going shopping but paying at the end of the month,that is they manage to make odds meet and not have to beg the owner of the grocer to give them more time for payment. this is the situation right now for most of the low and middle class families. And by the way don"t bring any excusses of Morning coffies or Bingo, because they have been long gone. this is just one example of the present situation in Malta right now and nobody dare say it is not true.

Mark Galea

Jun 24th 2009, 14:14

@Dr Mangion
Thank you. We knew all you said LONG time ago, since we experience it every day.

Now, please proceed to describe HOW you (and your party) will tackle these problems.
For example, give us the formula you would use to calculate water and electricity bills and outline method you will adopt to buy oil. There is no need to mention figures, since we will use this formula in 4 years (IF your party gets ELECTED)

Galea. L

Jun 24th 2009, 13:59

John Schembri
Why don't you convince your Gonzi to resign and then you will know PL solutions.

A Galea

Jun 24th 2009, 13:48

@ John Schembri: The usual blue tinted glass PN supporters, like parrots repeating after their news that Labour critisizes without giving solutions, when it was all there to see the solutions Labour gave and continues to give. A pity that the solutions that were 'never given' by the PL were copied by the PN at one point...

Isobel Mcgonigle

Jun 24th 2009, 13:26

The tourist industry,must be Malta's main source of income.
With the high prices in the shops,bars,retaraunts etc,Malta is losing tourists in droves.
The number of tourists I have spoken to,who have vowed never to return to Malta,the main reason,the high prices
How does a Family in Malta,on an average wage manage to survive?
What you pay for a basket of shopping in a supermarket in Malta, in the U.K you could fill a trolley.
With its inflated ,over pricing,Malta is signing its own death warrant

DR EMMY BEZZINA, LL.D.,B.A.,

Jun 24th 2009, 13:00

There is not the slightest argument about it that Malta`s economic stagnation is creating a huge cultural,social and moral negative upheaval among us where even siblings turn upon each other like hungry wolves.The situation is serious and it makes it even more alarming in a tense environment like The Family Court where fathers are turned out into criminals for not paying maintenance which at times they cannot afford.While generalizing is never to be condoned,it is fact that work is literally at a standstill and sugared words from our politicians or obliging Heads or Directors do not convince the people anymore when it is THE PEOPLE who are suffering not THOSE living off THE PEOPLE who implanted them while they suffer.
To my friend Dr Mangion,however,I request what are we going to do about the situation when these same people are enquiring as to how on earth are we going to construct a new House of Representatives at MILLIONS OF EURO when MALTA DOES NOT NEED IT & THE PEOPLE WANT PEACE OF MIND & SECURITY THAT THEY WILL HAVE ADEQUATE SOURCES OF INCOME TO FEED THEIR FAMILIES & THEMSELVES: these are the SOLUTIONS the ELECTORATE wants to hear !

E Gatt

Jun 24th 2009, 12:54

Dr Mangion is right that the main contributor to the increase in inflation was the increase in water and electricity rates. PL unashamedly exploited many people who were disillusioned believing that high subsidies should be maintained. The fact is that is you get a subsidy, your neighbour is paying for your consumption – totally wrong and unfair.

Rates were kept artificially low by keeping subsidies high. The government’s decision was unpopular but brave, discourages waste yet protects the most needy families in Malta. The pressure is now on for the management and GWU at Enemalta to be more cost effective and provide a better service.

J. Schembri

Jun 24th 2009, 12:30

Yawn. The cost of living is creating headaches to everyone everywhere all over the world.
Dr Mangion is pointing at the problem but he has no solution , if he had he would have said "The PL would decrease the bills by so much if it were elected" But Paroli Laburisti show us the problems but give us no solutions. Getting rid of Gonzi to have Joseph would not be a wise solution, it could have worked if we had Dr Gorg Abela .
I hate it when millionaires living in ivory towers try to champion the workers cause.

r ferriggi

Jun 24th 2009, 12:24

i would not like for my comment to be taken from a poliical biased point of view....

but MY personal opinion is that it is mostly the local importers that are to blame for MOST of the unbelievably high prices found locally,.

apart from the government controlled prices such as W&E bills and fuels.

i believe that it is all ONE CARTEL, a big monopoly to keep the prices higher than they should be.

food, medicines, clothes. these are expensive EVEN NOT CONSIDERING the local wages,,,let alone if you do weigh them into the equation. in this case malta becomes EXORBITANT.

and let no person try to explain that prices here are not expensive compared to Europe and the UK.

,,,, go ask some TOURISTS!!

my message is for government to investigate what is happening. to show that government is on the side of the people and not the big, strong importers!!