Electricity tariffs 'under review'

Enemalta is tight-lipped about possible changes in electricity tariffs even though the Prime Minister on Sunday gave a strong hint that they would go up.

All a spokesman for Enemalta would say was that the exercise to revise the tariffs "is still under review".

All questions about the revision exercise were met with a standard reply: "the review is under way".

Even Enemalta Chairman Alex Tranter, when contacted, had nothing to add to the written replies received by this newspaper.

After the corporation completes its revision the new tariff structure would have to be approved by the Malta Resources Authority. Based on the six-monthly revision exercise the new tariffs would be effective retroactively from October 1.

On Sunday Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, unprompted by his interviewer, said he was worried because oil had touched $75 a barrel.

He reminded his audience that tariffs were revised every six months and the last time they were revised downwards was because oil stood at $40 a barrel.

Dr Gonzi stopped just short of saying the tariffs would go up.