The increase in the price of fuel should not have been approved, especially since companies had not yet recovered from the effects of recession, the Chamber of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises - GRTU said yesterday.

In a statement, GRTU director general Vince Farrugia, who recently stood as a European Parliament candidate on behalf of the ruling Nationalist Party, said the increases showed that those running the economy did not know what they were doing.

Enemalta increased the price of diesel by a further 2c per litre last week to "reflect the cost of imported fuel".

A litre of diesel costs 97c, instead of 95c. The prices of leaded and unleaded petrol remained unchanged, at €1.20 and €1.13 respectively.

Prices for thin fuel oil (TFO), mainly used by industry, also increased by about 40c. TFO 200 increased by 41c to €452 a litre, TFO 450 went up by 43c to €443 and TFO 900 will cost €427 following a 46c increase.

Mr Farrugia said a number of enterprises would not reopen following the summer shut down. He said the price increase came at a time when businesses were reducing prices to remain in the market.

Now, the GRTU director general said, the increase would have to be borne by consumers.