Karl Stagno-Navarra
Labour leader Joseph Muscat sat around Investments Minister Austin Gatt’s table this week, in a private briefing on the methodology used in the computation of the revised energy tariffs.
Both Joseph Muscat and Austin Gatt confirmed they met at the Investments, Transport and Communications ministry last Thursday.
But both insisted that their conclusions could not be more different. While Austin Gatt stressed that there was absolutely “nothing to conclude” as the meeting was “just a briefing” to Muscat over the government’s methodology on oil prices and energy tariffs; the Opposition leader insisted with MaltaToday that the briefing confirmed his conviction that the methodology of computation for the revised tariffs was wrong.
Muscat added that “the government refused to reveal the structure of the tariffs that are expected to come into force as of 1 January.”
The proposed tariffs are currently being reviewed by the Malta Resources Authority.
During the briefing, representatives from audit firm KPMG, who devised Enemalta’s costings, explained their workings to Joseph Muscat, who confronted them on the fact that what they were showing him was already public.
“There was absolutely nothing new,” Joseph Muscat said, while adding that what he saw during the detailed presentation confirmed all that Labour had been saying since government announced the tariffs would be increased.
While Austin Gatt’s delegation included the chief executives of the Enemalta and Water Services corporations, the Labour leader was accompanied by shadow finance minister Charles Mangion, Labour MP Marlene Pullicino and party whip Joe Mizzi.
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