The Nationalist Party this morning again called on the government to immediately revise fuel prices downwards as international prices continue to fall.

Addressing a news conference, PN spokesman for finance Tonio Fenech said that while average fuel prices in the EU continued to fall, Maltese consumers were still paying exorbitant prices due to a government decision to hedge at high prices.

According to the latest statistics, average prices for unleaded fuel now stood at €1.34 and diesel at €1.27.

Mr Fenech said Malta was now selling fuel at much higher prices than many EU countries and this was providing the necessary funding to compensate for lower energy tariffs.

"It is now crystal clear that the government is giving you lower energy prices while robbing you blatantly at the pump.

PN spokesman George Pullicino challenged the government to publish its fuel purchase contracts.

"In this way, will will be able to know how much the government is defrauding people," Mr Pullicino said.

GOVERNMENT REACTION

In a reaction, the government said that instead of persisting in its errors on petrol and fuel prices, the Opposition should explain how in the last legislature it raised prices by 34 and the average family ended up paying €1,200 more on fuel in five years.

The average daily now spent €100 less on fuel per year.

The government said PN spokesman Tonio Fenech had ‘invented’ figures claiming that petrol in Malta should cost €1.16 and diesel €1.09. The average price of petrol in Europe was €1.42 and that of diesel was €1.29.