Malta has halted an agreement  with Libya enabling holders of Libyan diplomatic passports to come to Malta without the need for a visa, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said this morning.

Speaking in Hamrun, Dr Muscat said this was done as a precaution because the government had information that a passport facility in Sirte had been taken over by terrorists.

“We are taking all steps we can take responsibly, keeping the Opposition informed of all developments… We have to be vigilant and careful but proceed with our own life and our future but there is no cause for alarm,” Dr Muscat said.

The Mediterranean, he said, was going through turmoil and it was crucial that, at this time, Malta remained the voice of reason and a unifying factor, saying what it believed while bringing the different factions and thoughts together.

There could not be peace in the world without peace in the Mediterranean, Dr Muscat said, saying that Libya was currently divided between the east and west with parts of it taken by terrorists.

“We have to be careful even though we have no information or suspicions of an attack… We have to be vigilant but there is no cause for alarm,” Dr Muscat said adding that terrorists would not come to Malta as irregular immigrants by boat to be locked up in a detention centre for months.

This, he said, did not mean there might not be dangers “but we are taking all necessary steps to keep country safe…. I will be the first to inform the country of any problems we may have,” he added.

FUEL PRICES TO GO DOWN 3c TOMORROW

Dr Muscat also announced that fuel prices would go down another 3c as from tomorrow even though European prices were now increasing their prices.

Fuel prices in Malta had had been reduced, even though only marginally, in January and again in February and they would go down again on Monday.

The government's intention, he said, was to keep prices stable and not to bring them down only to increase them again.

In a statement in the afternoon, Enemed said the new prices are as follows:

CAFE PREMIER

On the Café Premier deal, Dr Muscat acknowledged that this was not a perfect government, “we make mistakes and this may be these result of our haste to correct what we have inherited,” he said.

Dr Muscat said the government would not attack the Auditor General’s report but would learn from it.

“We will not be arrogant…, we will not stamp our feet but learn and take all necessary measures to improve governance in this country,” he said.

COUNCIL ELECTIONS

The Prime Minister also spoke on next month’s council elections, describing them as the government’s mid-term test. He said it would not be easy for the government to get a good result as with the shift in localities, the party had already lost six seats.

The PL’s aim, he said, had to be that, in these elections, it obtained a majority of votes, no matter how small.

ECONOMY

Describing Opposition leader Simon Busuttil as Nostradamus for his prediction that he would not reduce water and electricity prices or that this would mean seeking bailout from the EU, Dr Muscat said he would not act as a prophesier but he had no intention of seeking a bailout but of making Malta one of the best economies in the EU.

NEW ARCHBISHOP

At the beginning of his speech, Dr Muscat congratulated Archbishop-elect Charles Scicluna on his appointment and said this would be a time for both sides to continue building upon the work done with Archbishop Paul Cremona.

Dr Muscat said that while the state and the church had to remain separate, they had to work together as two crucial partners for Maltese society.

“We should focus on what unites us,” he said.

PN STATEMENT

In a statement, the Nationalist Party said the drop in fuel prices from tomorrow proved how right Opposition leader Simon Busuttil was to insist that prices should go down.

The reduction, it said, was only coming after Maltese families and businesses had been robbed for months paying among the highest rates in Europe.

The 3c drop was also announced by Dr Muscat during a meeting at a Labour Club where he could be sure of applause and where journalists could not question him on the Cafe Premier scandal.