Opposition leader Simon Busuttil said this evening that his statements about reducing the price of electricity completely changed prior to the last election to now due to three factors: the BWSC station, the interconnector and the international price of oil.

In mass meetings prior to the last general election, Dr Busuttil had said that should electricity prices be reduced, Malta would experience grave problems. He has now repeatedly demanded for the price of electricity to go down.

Asked by The Malta Independent if he sees this as a contradiction, he said that no contradiction has taken place because in 2013 the fruits of the BWSC station had not yet come to fruition, neither had the interconnector at that stage and lastly the international price of oil wasn’t what it is today.

At the time, the price of oil stood at USD120, but is now between USD40-50. He said that thanks to the PN’s investments in the BWSC station and the interconnector has the price of electricity managed to be reduced.

He said if there is a contradiction, it is with Prime Minister Joseph Muscat for wanting the price of electricity to be reduced when the international price of oil stood at USD120, but now refuses to reduce prices.

Dr Busuttil fully committed to launching an independent inquiry into no portfolio minister Konrad Mizzi and the PM’s chief of staff Keith Schembri over the Panama Papers scandal, where the latter were found to have companies in the financially secretive jurisdiction of Panama.

In a press conference following Dr Busuttil’s official 2017 budget reaction speech, the Nationalist Party’s alternate proposals were highlighted, with the slogan “we can manage together” highlighted as the driving factor.

“The PN would cancel the €360 million Electrogas government guarantee, but launch a guarantee for start-up companies.

Such measures can be found in The Malta Independent’s full coverage.