10 years ago - The Times
Monday, January 26, 2009
Utility rates will go down, Gonzi says
Water and electricity rates will eventually be reduced once the government starts buying refined oil at prices that reflect the plummeting value of crude, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said yesterday.
Speaking at a political activity in Balzan, Dr Gonzi defended the new utility tariffs system, which he said created a strong incentive to reduce waste and use alternative energy.
He said it took a while for the price of refined oil to go down in the wake of crude but promised that as had already happened with the price of fuel, water and electricity prices will also be reduced at some point.
On past government declarations, the move is to be expected. A few months ago Infrastructure Minister Austin Gatt had stated that, because of hedging agreements, the cost of generating energy would start going down only when crude oil fell below $85 dollars a barrel – it is now hovering at about $46.
Dr Gatt later promised that the new tariffs would be revised when international oil prices varied by more than 15 per cent, a pledge he has been hammered on by the Opposition in the continuing absence of such a revision.
25 years ago - The Times
Sunday, January 26, 1994
Plans to open offshore areas again for oil exploration
Malta is again set to offer offshore acreage to oil companies for oil exploration.
The Prime Minister spoke about the government’s intention when addressing the Mediterranean Oil and Gas Exhibition Conference (MOEX 94) in Naxxar.
“My government intends to again open its acreage to oil companies and an invitation for applications for Production Sharing Contracts will be issued in the very near future,” he said.
The conference is the second being held here, and brings together over 250 exhibitors and energy experts from all over the world.
The move comes shortly after the failure of Agip and Amoco to strike oil when their well Tama One turned out to be dry. Since then Amoco have announced they are winding up their operations and drilling out of Malta.
However the PM remains optimistic.
“Although the well turned out to be dry, I am assured that this has often been the course of exploration in many producing parts of the world and I am therefore hopeful that with a sustained effort we will have a first discovery in the not too distant future as more prospects are drilled,” he said.
Half a century ago - Sunday Times of Malta
Sunday, January 26, 1969
Malta students’ wreath removed by police
A wreath placed by University students just inside Kingsgate, Valletta, yesterday to honour the Czechoslovak student Jan Palach, was removed by the Police about an hour later, because the students did not have the required Police permission.
Two University students carried the wreath from the students’ union headquarters, to Kingsgate. It bore an inscription reading: “To Jan Palach as a token of solidarity – the University students of Malta.”
About an hour later, Police removed the wreath, and press photographers, taking pictures of students laying roses near the wreath, were told to move on.
Mr Michael Falzon, president of the Students’ Representative Council, on Friday applied for Police permission to lay the wreath at the foot of the Great Siege Monument in Kingsway at 9.30am the following day.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr A.J. Lanzon, replied that, while not intending to interfere in any way with the students’ right of expression and assembly, the Great Siege Monument was a national monument and wreaths could only be laid there on national occasions approved as such by the government.