Consumer Rights Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli has asked the Competition Office within the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority to investigate the rise in tariffs by three major telecommunications companies in Malta, to check whether competition laws were breached.

The move came after Labour MEP Alex Agius Saliba issued a Facebook video, where he also asked an EU group that protects Consumer rights in the EU for an investigation into whether or not there was price-fixing after Epic, Go and Melita sent letters to consumers. In these letters, he said that the companies told their clients that tariffs will be introduced - €1 to €2 - for their service for clients who continue to pay bills in cash, instead of direct debit.

He said that consumers will not have a choice, and that all these companies, within a few days, agreed to increase these prices, send these letters at the same time in order to burden the consumers. He said that there might be vulnerable or elderly people who might not have the skills to use direct debit services. "These companies are saying that if you don't pay your bills by direct-debit, we will be changing your contract and charging you €1 - €2 more each month. And if you pay by direct debit, you will be given a refund, so in the bill you would have plus €1 or €2 euros, and then at the bottom minus €1 or €2 euros. So the only choice to pay would be direct debit as otherwise you would pay more."