The Labour Party today continued its criticism of the new gas prices, pointing out that while the increase here was of 32%, it was just 1% in the eurozone.

Gavin Gulia, spokesman on economic affairs, pointed out that when gas prices last went up, the government said the increase was the result of the lifting of remaining subsidies on gas products.

Therefore, the increase announced this week was supposed to reflect market price fluctuations.

Yet, whereas prices in Malta had gone up by 32%, the increases in the eurozone was just 1% between August and May. The highest increases after Malta were in Slovenia and Cyprus, and those increases were half Malta's.

That the government had raised the energy benefit was only the least the government could have done to ease the impact of the new prices, Dr Gulia said.