Alternattiva Demokratika said it will be participating in the national demonstration against the utility tariffs and in the coming days will meet representatives of the unions which had invited it, to discuss the issue in detail.

AD chairperson Michael Briguglio said the utility bills imposed by the Nationalist government are socially unjust and unsustainable, and are creating hardships on workers, families, pensioners and businesses. “Besides, the same Nationalist government is fairing poorly in incentivising the use of alternative energy. To make matters worse, the government’s privatisation of gas has created a private monopoly and exorbitant prices overnight,” he said.

“The government’s bulldozer attitude is ignoring the various voices of civil society. It is for this reason that there is no alternative but to protest in the streets. Demonstrations are part and parcel of the democratic process and any talk to the contrary is unacceptable. While the international price of oil cannot be ignored, customers should not pay for the electricity corporation’s inefficiencies. A fixed tariff rate should be introduced for basic and sustainable consumption of energy. Basic use of water and electricity should not be penalised, unlike wasteful practices.”

Ralph Cassar, spokesperson for industry, energy and transport appealed to the government to commission scientific studies to determine how basic consumption can be quantified, taking into consideration ecological, social and economic factors in the consumption patterns of individuals, families, businesses and organisations of different sizes.