(Adds Enemalta's reply)

Malta’s fuel prices do not reflect international rates, PL spokesman Charles Mangion said in a statement.

The price of petrol increased 5c (3.5%) as from today as the consignment bought in July was, according to Enemalta, 7.8% more expensive.

This increase nearly neutralised the 6c reduction in price given last month, making petrol only 1c cheaper than it was in April and May.

However, the international price of petrol in dollars in July was still more than 17 per cent cheaper (11.5 per cent cheaper in euros) than in April, on which the petrol price for May had been based.

Dr Mangion said that if local prices were to really reflect international ones, the price of petrol in August should have been 9c cheaper than announced.

In the case of diesel, the local price for August was, according to Enemalta, based on the international price for June.

However, had the rates really been based on the international prices, the price of diesel should have been reduced by another 6c.

In a reply, Enemlata said that it did not have any petrol consignments in April so the April price was not reflected in its calculations.

It said that the international petrol price in dollars was 3 per cent cheaper than in Malta but this was not the only factor which determined the price.

The price was also determined by the movement in the stock value of the previous month, the corporation said.

On diesel, the corporation said that the average drop in the price of diesel from May to June was of 9.83% and not 16 per cent as Dr Mangion had claimed.