Sunday, 5th July 2009 - 10:59CET
Muscat calls for energy prices guarantee - PL to hold conference on inflation
Labour leader Joseph Muscat today called on the government to guarantee fuel and gas prices to the end of the year. He also said he expected a favourable Budget with the government giving money back to the people to boost demand.
His comments came on the same morning when Finance Minister Tonio Fenech told The Sunday Times in an interview that the best way to boost the economy was through investment, rather than increasing disposable income.
"It is better to leave €10 in the people's pockets than the government's. When the people have money to spend, the economy moves forward, but the government is not realising this," Dr Muscat said in an interview on One TV.
But instead, the government last week announced massive and unjustified fuel price increases at a time when fuel in competing countries cost less. How could the government be credible when these increases, effectively a tax, were imposed at the same time as Mr Fenech said the Budget would include no new taxes?
The government, Dr Muscat said, had still not explained its costings, and one had to wonder what the Resources Authority was doing to protect consumers.
And the worse was still to come in that the governemnt had still not announced the increase in gas prices decided upon before the EP elections.
The government, Dr Muscat said, needed to guarantee energy prices at least in the short term, because what the economy was seriously lacking was certainty.
The government's economic incompetence, he said, was underlined by Mr Fenech himself when he last week said the economy had performed like a car with two punctures which was only able to move forward slowly. What the government should have done, Dr Muscat said, was to fix those punctures not cause more damage to the car.
PL TO HOLD CONFERENCE ON INFLATION
Dr Muscat said inflation was a major cause for concern, especially as local trends were the opposite of the EU and inflation was clearly local.
He said the PL this summer would hold a national conference grouping all policy makers, experts and operators to to discuss what action could be taken to reduce inflation.
He could not understand, Dr Muscat said, how the government had not reduced VAT on catering establishments as a means to boost demand and competitiveness, as long as this was reflected in a drop in prices, as France had done.
Dr Muscat said he was impressed how euro conversion had not led to a drastic increase in prices and said the same model needed to be followed. Having sustainable prices would, ultimately, benefit both consumers as well as retailers and importers, Dr Muscat said.
MEPA REFORM
On the forthcoming Mepa reform, Dr Muscat said the Pl expected real consultation from the government without having to plead for it. Indeed, such consultation should have taken place before decisions were taken. The reform, he said, should be based on consistency and the removal of arrogance, real or perceived, in the authority.
On the Bahrija Valley development, Dr Muscat said he did not believe this was a mistake and he expected people to assume political and administrative responsbility, in the same was as the PL expected people to assume responsibility for the corruption found at the VAT Department.
CITY GATE PROJECT
Dr Muscat said Malta needed a decent entrance to the City, and indeed, a masterplan for the whole City. He would let the people express their views on the proposals made, he said, and the government needed to heed the people, including the concerns expressed by shop owners and the concerns over parking.
The people, he said, wanted projects, but they wanted value for money and budgetary targets and timeframes which were observed.
Dr Muscat also spoke on the power station extension and said it was unacceptable that representatives of a bidding company spoke to Enemalta officials before the bidding started, and that the corporation's chairman was in the employ of the contractor who would be doing most of the work.
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Comments
Re-Valletta project and your question to Dr. Muscat, confirms the idiocracy of people like you who believe they are reading a PN article or hearing NET news, while the article says something else. JM said
"Malta needed a decent entrance to the City, and indeed, a masterplan for the whole City. He would let the people express their views on the proposals made, he said, and the government needed to heed the people, including the concerns expressed by shop owners and the concerns over parking."...Dear Carmen Mangion Can you tell me what's wrong in what he said here?
I have my reservations on the Renzo Piano proposals, but I would have expected the Labour Party to have its own views, and not rely simply on the “views expressed by the people.” Does the Labour Party have any views of its own? It is convenient to abstain from making alternative suggestions, using the “people’s views” as an excuse.
The major flaw of the city gate project is that it was sought through a “direct order.” I would have expected the Labour Party to invite say half a dozen renowned architects to submit alternative projects, or launch an international competition, so that we can compare like with like.
If the new leader of the Labour Party wishes to earn a reputation for his Party as an “alternative government,” would it not be appropriate for him to provide us with alternative plans for Valletta, and convince us that Renzo Piano does not have a monopoly of good designs and ideas?
The first tremors resulted in the landslide PL victory from which Gonzi and his apologists are still dusting themselves.
Joseph Muscat talab garazija ghal dawn il-hames xhur li gejjin u mhux kif intalbet lilu ingustament u bie jithawdu l-imhuh, biex jaghti garanzija x'ha jghamel 4 snin ohra meta u jekk ikun fil-gvern. Sa 4 xhur ma tridtx tkun xi bruva jew brava tal-matrikola biex tiggarantixxi xi haga simili. Imma Alla biss jista jiggarantixxi xi haga ta' trahhis erba snin ohra.
Dan ir-ragunar mhuwiex ta' min huwa mahsub li hu idjota, imma ta' min irid li jzomm lil JM kontabbli ghall xi haga li ma jistax jinzamm biha. Trid tkun jew ma tafx x'qed tghid, jew aghar, tkun hawwadi ta' l-imhuh, li minnhom hawn mhux hazin. Jien nahseb li din ta' l-ahhar hi, ghax dejjem l-istess kantalena mill istess nies. Dan jikxef l-agenda li ghandhom certi nies. Ejjew noqtlu l- karattru li jkollu l-mexxej tal-PL. Disgrazzjatament ghal Malta rnexxilhom ghall dawn l-ahhar 22 sena. Imma ghal kollox hemm prezz. Issa bdejna nhossuh. Nhallsu ghalih ilna.
Ghadni ma smajtx lil xi hadd bhalhekk sinjura, tfahhru lil JM li fl-istess intervista iggarantixxixa il-welfare state li huwa il-mimmi ta' ghajnejn is-socjalismu u r- raguni ta' l-ezistenza tieghu!
We did not have a drastic increase but prices were increased before the adoption of the euro.
Moreover, we have had an explosion in prices since then as anyone living in Malta and not in cuckoo land can vouch.
Dan hu l-istess persuna li hmistax ilu qal illi ma jistax jinghataw garanziji ghax il-prezz taz-zejt ma tistax tipprevedi xi jkun ?
Dr. Muscat...we're not idiots ta' !!! .. ieqaf tkellem ghal gallarija ?
U ghandi mistoqsija ghal Dr. Muscat ... mar jarha l-esebizzjoni tal-progetti tal-Belt...? jew qed jitkellem minghajr ma jaf ezatt x'ser isir ?
It’s all a matter of faith in what we can achieve as a country.... and not giving in to the moaners and groaners who have made it their life mission to discourage the government in carrying out its brave and ambitious plans.