(Details added)

The Prime Minister said this morning that he is willing to meet unions as long as the premise is having energy tariffs which incentivise those who save energy.

Speaking at a dialogue meeting in Sliema, Dr Gonzi said that people could not be allowed to continue wasting energy.

It was important for people to learn not to waste and one should see whether the time had come for people to stop taking water and electricity forgranted. Waste had to be limited and alternative energy incentivised. Unions, the Prime Minister said, should not expect everything to remain as at present.

Dr Gonzi said that another meeting had also been requested by the Chamber for Small and Medium Enterprises and this was to be held in a few days.

On the budget, Dr Gonzi said that this was a delicate exercise highlighting the country’s plan for the next year. No one knew what the future held so one had to think ahead and be prepared. The government, he said, was drawing up a strategy on how best to use the people’s taxes.

The Labour leader, Dr Gonzi said, was still not taking the future and international problems into consideration. He expected him to find the time to see what he would do to counter the international challenges.