News | Tuesday, 12 November 2008

Utility tariffs not officially published yet after two weeks, FOI complains

In a strongly-worded statement on Monday, the Malta Federation of Industry (FOI) lamented that almost two weeks after the Government had finalised its decision to change the electricity and water tariffs, the new tariffs had not been published yet.
“Industry is still in a state of confusion and uncertainty, as these tariffs have still not been officially released. Numerous enquiries for clarifications have been made by the FOI to Government, but information received so far is either incomplete or confusing,” the FOI insisted.
The Federation said that “unlike the type of planning that we have seen with the issue of these new tariff rates”, companies needed to be officially informed of the exact workings and rates so that these could be professionally factored in the companies’ cost structures.
After the initial shock of the revised rates that was causing negative repercussions across all of industry, threatening employment and business investment confidence, “this state of uncertainty is just adding insult to injury, by causing administrative problems,” it added.
The Federation said that the tariffs were made to apply retroactively from 1 October 2008, “without no economic impact assessment and no official information by the Enemalta and/or the regulator to explain the technical details.
“This is seen as the classic case where Government did not adopt the much publicised EU Better Regulation principles,” the FOI insisted.
The Legal Notices should have already been issued, “the absence of which reinforces its position within MCESD, that this process should be have been put on hold until a later date, when the necessary legal framework was already well prepared.”

PRINT THIS ARTICLE

Other News

Shipyards projected sale revenue a state secret

Unions team up against rise in utility bills

BOV, HSBC announce interest rate cut

Utility tariffs not officially published yet after two weeks, FOI complains

Maltese casinos on alert as Italy gears up to open more casinos

Coldwell Banker named top real estate brand for ninth straight year

BOV installs recycling collection box at head office

HSBC issues the business high interest deposit account

People Solutions Embarks on new international strategy

Malta Enterprise retains international strategy despite slowdown

Obama blacklists Malta as tax haven

Integrating efficient planning

GlobalCapital kick starts the regeneration of the Gzira area

New Vodafone CEO to adopt a Stg 1 billion saving plan

Germany risks countrywide strike

Enter the dragon

Sense Group calls for collaboration with industry