People's right to know

In replying to Opposition criticism, Enemalta seems to have adopted the same pattern as GonziPN. PL spokesman Charles Mangion recently criticised the Malta Resources authority as the regulator for the price of fuel in Malta and Enemalta on the revised prices of Petrol and Diesel which came into effect at the beginning of the month. In its reply Enemalta avoided the question by resorting to inexistent explanations that circumvent the original points put forward by the spokesman of the Labour Party.

Charles Mangion, quoting Eurostat data and other EU commission reports, said that the workings on the official EU websites confirm that the PL’s claim that petrol and diesel should have been reduced by 16 cents and 11 cents respectively, confirm that the comments made are more than justified. In fact, Enemalta, in its reply, did not deny the PL’s workings.

Enemalta quoted the average price of petrol and diesel in the EU, which is higher than that actually paid in Malta. This excuse does not hold water. The same EU statistics clearly show that the price of petrol and diesel, excluding taxes, in Malta is among the highest in the EU 27. This is clearly explained in another EU website that shows the price of crude as uniform throughout each EU state but also shows margins separately. These margins are added to the costs of crude oil and include refining, transportation, insurance, stockpiling, distribution and sale to consumers. These margins are the fourth highest in all EU countries,

According to the statistics quoted by the corporation, the cost of petrol is 8 cents per litre higher than the EU average. This also represents the highest price in the EU states. Diesel is also higher than the average figures for the EU by 9 cents per litre.

The same statistics, published this week, were side-stepped by Enemalta. The reason is simple – In the last two months, the average consumer price for unleaded petrol was reduced by 11 cents per litre with some countries such as Slovenia, Greece and Belgium reducing the price by 16 cents. The average price of diesel was also reduced by 9 cents per litre. In Malta the reductions over the same period were only 6 cents in respect of unleaded petrol and 2 cents per litre of diesel.

Estimates presented by the Labour Party are not based on guesswork. The data published by the EU confirms that the prices of unleaded fuel and diesel should have been reduced by 16 cents and 11 cents respectively. It is simply unfair that the Maltese consumers are being forced to pay higher prices to make up for the corporation’s debts and inefficiency.

The Labour party reiterates its demands that the MRA and Enemalta explain, in detail, the pricing mechanism and the reasons for the different rates of reduction as compared to all other EU states. The people have a right to know.