The Nationalist Party is closely following developments at Air Malta but is not being kept up to the date by the government, Opposition leader Simon Busuttil said today.

Welcoming a delegation from the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association, Dr Busuttil said the PN was backing the airline’s restructuring programme, but the government's silence was creating doubts, particularly when one heard about downsizing and then saw the engagement of workers.

Dr Busuttil reiterated the PN's call for the government to reduce electricity tariffs, for the tourism sector and consumers in general, saying this call, also being made by several constituted bodies, stemmed from the lower international price of oil and the cheaper generation costs brought about by the interconnector and the BWSC plant.

During the meeting, Dr Busuttil, accompanied by shadow economy minister Claudio Grech and tourism spokesman Antoine Borg, discussed proposals for the forthcoming Budget.