The government will be shouldering the newest increases in the price of oil because it knew that Maltese families were unable to take on new burdens at this point in time, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said this morning.

Speaking in Sliema, he said that the government was able to take on this burden itself because it had been careful.

The government will now visit families, enter their homes, speak to them and explain how important it is for the country to progress. Only if the country moved forward could families progress.

Finance Minister Tonio Fenech said that the government cared for the people and its decision not to increase water and electricity rates was not being taken capriciously but to avoid the problems other countries had had to face.

Tourism Minister Mario de Marco said that the government wanted a viable tourism industry which left operators with a profit. To increase arrivals, the government invested in routes, advertising and the product. In return, tourism gave the country the necessary funds to invest in other sectors, including health and education.

By not increasing the water and electricity rates and by assisting operators invest through several funds, the government was ensuring a profitable future for the industry.

Closing the activity, the Prime Minister said that the government wanted the best for the people. It invested in health, education and sports and also in little things, such as open spaces, which made a big difference.

He criticised Labour leader Joseph Muscat for his lack of leadership at Mosta saying that he failed to solve the problems the locality had had to face.

Dr Gonzi said that, on the contrary, he had not been afraid to take the necessary decisions in Sliema but Dr Muscat was stuck to the seat of power in Mosta and lacked the courage to take the necessary decisions.