The Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise yesterday called for a timely and lasting decision on dual pricing to enable private enterprise plan appropriately. Any form of uncertainty is detrimental to business.

A decision on the starting date for the dual pricing period needs to be taken and communicated to the public forthwith to avoid any undue complications on the business environment, chamber president Victor Galea said.

Mr Galea made this statement following reports quoting the parliamentary secretary Mr Tonio Fenech as stating that, “It will become clearer which date would be more appropriate as we get closer to the end of the year”.

The chamber cannot accept this uncertainty to be prolonged further and awaits a final decision much before “the end of the year”. The chamber is in favour of Malta’s adoption of Europe’s common currency in 2008 and calls for the subject to be treated objectively and independently of party politics.

According to the chamber, the period of dual pricing should commence immediately after the Maltese lira’s central parity rate against the euro is irrevocably fixed. This is due to take place by the end of the second quarter of next year – at the Ecofin Council which will decide on the basis of technical advice received from the European Central Bank.