The Labour Leader never loses an opportunity to state that he is against privatisation, the Investment, Industry and IT ministry said yesterday.

It quoted Dr Sant as having stated that if the government sold its majority stake, then it should have received a price that was higher than that quoted on the stock exchange. The ministry said such a statement showed Dr Sant’s incompetence and was in sharp contrast to expert advice.

Consultants Lehmann Brothers had reported that the price obtained by the government was more than what was currently quoted for the sale of telecommunications companies, the ministry said, adding that Maltacom’s financial advisors, Rothschild, had also quoted e220m as a fair price.