The Malta Labour Party has urged the Minister for of IT and investment, Austin Gatt, to explain how he told the social partners last week that he had scaled back the impact of the new power tariffs by €60 million, whereas in a statement yesterday he put the actual figure at €50 million.

Furthermore, the Labour Party said, the Minister had still not replied to questions put by Joseph Muscat yesterday on the oil prices at which the original tariff proposals were pegged, and what oil prices formed the basis for the new version were.

Meanwhile, Alternattiva Demokratika is again insisting with government that real consultation should take place with regards to energy tariffs.

Arnold Cassola, Alternattiva Demokratika Chairperson, said, "It is extremely serious that Minister Tonio Fenech declared yesterday that he has no intention of postponing the increase in energy tariffs till March, depite the requests of UHM, GWU, GRTU, FOI, MEA and other social partners."

"Being pig headed in politics never pays. The country paid the price of Alfred Sant's obstinacy in the 1996-1998 period. We do not want the Maltese and Gozitans to pay the price again now, ten years later, due to Tonio Fenech, Austin Gatt and Lawrence Gonzi's combined dose of obstinacy," concluded Prof. Cassola

Michael Briguglio, Spokesperson for Social and Economic Development said, "AD strongly believes that Malta's energy bills should not be socially disruptive whilst also encouraging the polluters pay principle. Who wastes more should pay more. Who makes efforts to save energy should be rewarded. The benchmark to be used to decide what is normal energy use for each case, for example household size or company type, should be based on scientific socio-economic research commissioned by Government."

Ralph Cassar spokesperson for energy, industry and transport concluded by saying, "The importance of incentivising micro power generation systems from clean sources of energy should not be discounted. Indeed a whole new industry based on clean energy can be created if the right fiscal mechanisms are put in place."