Opposition spokesman on resources Joe Mizzi said that the government did not have a national plan on water management even though it had set up the Malta Resources Authority and Mepa. No wonder the island suffered from scarcity of water.

Utility bills did not reflect a serious system of water management. While the PN was elected with the cry of have running water, people were now watching carefully the use of tap water as otherwise their utility bills would go sky high.

The government had often relied on the excuse of the global crises. But such crises could not have existed throughout all the years the PN has been in government.

Mr Mizzi asked whether the inefficiencies in the production of potable water were still present. There was no investment on new technology. “How much did the government spend on the conservation and treatment of water?” he asked.

The government did not attract EU funds to solve this problem. While it did not give priority, it requested the people to make sacrifices to make up for its incompetencies. The Valletta regeneration project lacked a water catchment project. Finance Minister Tonio Fenech had said regulations were being drafted regarding the Xgħajra purification plant to curb waste deposited in the sewage so that purified water would be used for agricultural purposes. Mr Mizzi said that this was an admission that the government had given farmers water that was not fit for agricultural purposes. The PN should be ashamed for putting all kinds of obstacles to Labour governments which intended to set up sewage purification plants to have a cleaner sea.

The opposition believed that there was a lot of work to be done in this sector and there was a need for more efficiency. On the other hand, the government intended to reduce the number of employees and to privatise the sector. It had also bankrupted the Water Services Corporation just as it bankrupted Enemalta, Mr Mizzi said.