Labour leadership candidate Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca has urged the government to appoint a task force to tackle price inflation.

She said after meeting people at the Vittoriosa market this morning that price hikes were weighing heavily on the people’s minds. While it was true that prices were also rising abroad, overseas governments were taking a more proactive approach to mitigate them, she said. The Maltese government, she said, should not base itself simply on the household budgetary survey, especially as recent increases n the prices of food and fuel were here to stay.

Pointing to the March retail price index, Notary Coleiro Preca said it was especially worrying that it as the prices of essential items which were rising fastest.

On the leadership election, she said that if she is elected Labour leader, she would make it a point to stay close to the people.

It was also fundamental for her that the party was united. She had personal experience of service (as general secretary) under three leaders, and she was sure she could use that experience to ensure that the party was united and made use of all resources available to it, she said.