Claudia Calleja
A petition presented to the Prime Minister by a group of European expats, calling for equal treatment when it came to utility bills and bus fares, would not be ignored, a Government spokesman said.
“While defending Malta’s national interest, this Administration is against any form of discrimination, including in the transport and energy sector as managed by the previous government,” a spokesman for the Office of the Prime Minister said.
This current Administration is against any form of discrimination
The petition, he said, would be evaluated by the Parliamentary Committee of Petitions, which would be appointed in this legislature – without specifying when – as promised in Labour’s electoral manifesto. The committee will have the right to propose a discussion in Parliament.
Scottish-born Patricia Graham, who started the petition, said this was positive news but she had one concern.
“This is very positive and it makes me very happy, so long as it does not mean that they are sidestepping us or passing the buck,” she told Times of Malta.
The petition, signed by 1,120 people, said the Government was remaining silent despite the fact that EU nationals living in Malta were being discriminated against.
Foreigners were being charged between 35 and 60 per cent more than their Maltese neighbours for several basic services.
These included water and electricity bills, public transport, car registration, home loans, television and internet services and e-residence cards.
Ms Graham, who has been living in Malta for five years with her family, called on the new Labour Government to heed their plight.
The spokesman for the Prime Minister said the Government believed in the right of all citizens to voice their concerns and was adopting a listening approach throughout.
“Hence, we are taking note of the arguments put forward through the petition,” the spokesman said.
Foreigners living here pay up to 30 per cent more for electricity because pricing regulations distinguish between a residential tariff for the primary home of Maltese citizens and a domestic tariff, reserved for second homes and non-residents.
Over the past few months, several EU citizens living in Malta filed a class action lawsuit against utilities billing company ARMS Ltd.
They also filed a Constitutional case contesting the discriminatory utility bills’ pricing legislation.
A controversy erupted when Arriva began operating the public transport system in July 2011 and introduced a two-tier fare that led to foreigners being charged more.
The European Commission has launched formal legal proceedings against Malta because of this.