In his Talking Point of March 21, entitled Unsustainable Arguments, the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Communications, Austin Gatt declared that: "Notwithstanding the high tariffs of last year, Enemalta did not balance its books.

"It lost a whooping €68 million after a government subsidy of €70 million - a year subsidy never even achieved by the drydocks! That means that tariffs fell short by €138 million in 2008, a very far cry from balancing the books!

"Tariff income (at €292 million) in 2008 was not even enough to cover the market price of imported oil, which last year was €333 million, and that is before we even started burning it to convert it to electricity, let alone pay wages and all the rest".

If Dr Gatt's mathematics are sound and represent the real state of affairs at Enemalta, how come that the corporation is now submitting revised proposals for lower water and electricity tariffs for the approval of the Malta Resources Authority?

Dr Gatt reinforced the above quotation with another to simplify his argument. He said that "the reality is that, last year, our tariffs fell short by €138 million and Enemalta now has a hole of €68 million, which it needs to plug unless it is going to go under".

The drift of Dr Gatt's Talking Point is clear and unmistakable. Did he address himself to the readers of The Times or to whoever it was that has submitted revised tariff proposals for the consideration of the Malta Resources Authority?

Is there a fly in the ointment somewhere?