When the Labour Party is in government, it will reduce the water and electricity surcharge by 50 per cent, opposition leader Alfred Sant said yesterday during a public dialogue meeting held in Lija.
He pointed out that the water and electricity surcharge is not justified when compared to the current price of oil and that the government is hiding behind it to mask its incompetence.
Dr Sant pointed out that a year ago, the Nationalist Party promised the Maltese and Gozitans that they will live a better life.
“Although Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi boasts that the country’s economy is growing, there are many families – not only within the lower social bracket – that are unhappy,” he said.
People are not living a better life due to incompetence, lack of vision and the presence of several ministers who can no longer deliver, added Dr Sant.
“The government is not interested in reducing the cost of living, especially where medicines, food, education and the elderly are concerned,” he said.
Dr Sant said that the government did not reappoint the Commission for Fair Trading, which is presided over by magistrate Silvio Meli, following its end of term in February.
“It is in the public’s interest to have this commission functioning but the government is sending a clear signal that it is not concerned with these issues,” he explained.
The government has to ensure that the public has access to items of the highest quality that are not expensive, said Dr Sant.
He pointed out that committees that were set up to oversee prices do not have the power and tools to be effective.
“When Labour is in government we will set up a committee that will carefully follow price change and present a public report every six months on the change in price of items,” said Dr Sant. “If it is found that prices went up, these will have to be justified.”
These reports will give a clear indication of what needs to be done, he added.
The MLP is not interested in making promises it cannot keep, pointed out Dr Sant.
“For example, unlike the government, we will not tell the Hunters and Trappers Association (FKNK) that they can hunt in spring,” he said.
Labour agrees that the Office of the Ombudsman should be entrenched in the Constitution, but wonders whether it will actually make a difference, said Dr Sant.
The question is whether the Ombudsman has enough power and sufficient structure to make a difference.
Labour spokesperson on roads and public transport Charles Buhagiar said that the Nationalist government is incompetent and arrogant as can be seen in all its actions.
The concept of the Mtarfa by-pass was thought up by a Labour government in the 1980s to help reduce traffic and improve the quality of life of the residents, said Mr Buhagiar.
“In 1999 under the Nationalist government, the works on the Mtarfa by-pass began. They promised that it will be completed in 12 months with an estimated cost of Lm450,000, but it took them three years just to complete one part,” he explained.
However, said Mr Buhagiar, the road was only completed on Saturday – eight years down the line, with a final cost of Lm1.2 million.
Mr Buhagiar pointed out that similar incompetence and needless spending can also be seen in the roads funded by the Italian Protocol.
Labour spokesman for Parliament Affairs Charles Mangion said that PN has no vision to offer to the Maltese and Gozitan.
The Maltese people want a clear explanation as to why money is being wasted and why these extra expenses are not justified, he added.
However, said Dr Mangion, the MLP is more focused on solving the country’s problems as can be clearly seen in the initiative on tourism launched last week in St Paul’s Bay.
“We believe in tourism because it is a fundamental industry for Malta and the MLP’s emphasis on tourism shows that we are clearly focused on the country’s needs,” he said.
“Air Malta, with all the reforms it needs, is still an important element for Malta’s tourism industry,” added Dr Mangion.