A popular government without popular information or the means of acquiring it is but a prologue to a farce, or a tragedy, or perhaps both– James Madison (1751-1836, fourth US president).

It was once said that sunlight is the best disinfectant. In the daylight rip-off we are being subjected to by the government when filling up our fuel tanks, we have a veritable solar eclipse.

Joseph Muscat’s solemn pre-election promise to lead the most transparent government that Malta has ever had since Independence rings very hollow now. There’s a higher probability of finding an ice cube in the Sahara Desert at midday than finding Muscat living up to his transparency pledge.

Whether we are discussing police inquiry reports whose publication was promised months ago, electricity-generation commitments and contracts worth hundreds of millions of euros or the government swindle in the exorbitant diesel and petrol prices, transparency is truly dead and buried.

Let’s focus on the diesel and petrol prices that you are paying.

The situation in Malta today is totally baffling. As we write this article, international news portals are reporting that oil prices have gone down to $48 per barrel, causing some pumps in the UK to slash petrol prices below the £1 mark. Just six months ago, the oil price stood at more than double, hovering around $100.

Despite all this, pump prices in Malta have remained practically unchanged, with a measly reduction of 1c on diesel and 2c on petrol. Every time you fill up €30 of petrol or diesel, €10 is being taken away by the government on petrol and €12 on diesel, without any plausible explanation.

Facts are sacred, comment is free.

Fact one: while the international price of oil dropped from $100 to $45 over the past six months, the price of fuel in Malta did not become cheaper.

Transparency is truly dead and buried

Prices did fall drastically all over the EU and beyond . Consumers and businesses all over Europe are benefiting from these fuel price reductions. Our competitors are enjoying much cheaper fuel prices. But in Malta we are not. All this puts further pressure on Maltese businesses and makes our businesses and factories less competitive.

Fact two: Malta has the highest diesel and petrol prices in the EU.

Let’s compare like with like. Let’s compare basic diesel and petrol prices, that is, the basic price without taxes (since taxes may vary from one country to another) of all the EU member states.

A comparison with diesel and petrol prices in other EU member states confirms that Malta has the highest diesel and petrol prices (www.energy.eu).

Regrettably, Malta still tops the list, ranking third highest when tax is added.

Muscat has indeed made us the ‘best’ in Europe, but for the wrong reasons.

Fact three: the government is refusing to publish all the information, contracts included, to explain the reasons behind this fleecing of Maltese consumers.

Our basic fuel prices are the highest in the EU and they are well over the EU average. They do not reflect the international downward trend in prices.

The Opposition has repeatedly flagged its concern about this pricing in recent days. It has called on the government to give an explanation. But the government remains mum; it seems our government does not want you to know why.

Fact four: the government is raking in hundreds of thousands of euros extra every day from the artificially-exorbitant fuel prices it is imposing on us. Where is this money going? What is it financing?

There can only be two explanations for this cloak of darkness.

Either the government’s hedging went haywire or else no hedging took place, meaning a veritable rip-off by this government. In either case, the government is in duty bound to inform, to be transparent and to not dupe the Maltese consumers.

In its electoral programme for the 2013 general election, the Labour Party had a written commitment: to govern by transparency and to break from the politics of the past. All we are expecting is for Muscat to live up to his promise.

www.dieselupetrol.com

martheseportelli.pn@gmail.com

jason.azzopardi@gov.mt

Marthese Portelli is shadow minister for the environment, energy, and transport.

Jason Azzopardi is shadow minister for justice, citizens rights and democracy.