At a press conference in Marsa this morning, ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo emphasised that the current subsidies on fuel and electricity – exceeding one million euro per day – are not sustainable. While helping those in need is a priority, doing so in a sustainable manner is in the long-term interest of all.
ADPD – The Green Party General Secretary Dr Ralph Cassar mentioned how the Prime Minister has recently stated that it was not easy to limit subsidies being granted to the wealthy and the wasteful. Decision making, emphasised Cassar, was never going to be easy. It is imperative that measures are taken at the earliest to reduce the subsidies and to substitute them with targeted assistance to those who really require it. The role of politicians in power is to ensure that the necessary decisions, fair ones, are taken at the earliest.
Ensuring that subsidised fuel is not used by large seacraft was a step in the right direction: this was just one example of the wealthy having a free-ride, paid for by all of us. Education, healthcare, and the urgent transition to renewable and clean energy sources are examples which would benefit from enhanced and targeted investment. “The last thing this country needs is a reduction in investment in that which could make an improvement in the lives of future generations – a decent education. Indeed, more not less is needed in this area,” concluded Cassar.
Carmel Cacopardo said limiting the fuel and electricity subsidies would ensure that more funds are available for those areas of society and of the economy that really need them. He insisted that the current subsidies on fuel and electricity – exceeding one million euro per day – are not sustainable. However, the subsidies could be reduced in an intelligent manner which could in turn lead to benefits on other sectors.
For example, reducing the subsidies on petrol and diesel would mean less cars on the road and encourage a shift to public transport which will be offered free of charge from next month. To this end, it might also push for an improvement in the services’ reliability and efficiency. As had been laid out by the National Transport Master plan, half of the trips by private vehicles are of less than fifteen minutes duration and public transport can be the more reasonable alternative. The same Master Plan mentions other measures which have been abandoned such as priority corridors for buses. We go a step further and insist on a Bus Rapid Transit system, and safer roads for clean transport such as bicycles, pedelecs and scooters. Since this week is European Mobility Week, it is pertinent to point out that Malta still has a long way to go to achieve the goal of sustainable mobility.
Those economic areas which are heavily dependent on petrol or diesel could be assisted directly through special assistance taking into consideration their needs. This could also apply in the case of the electricity subsidy. While basic domestic use should remain subsidised, aid to business and industry should be done in a tailor-made fashion according to the type of activity and its requirements. The money spent on subsidies could be better invested in energy efficiency and renewable energy programmes.
Cacopardo reiterated the importance of an increased use of renewable energy. “More renewable energy should be generated through better use of public buildings while encouraging more private users to do the same. Improving the distribution system could also assist in reducing the impact of the increased cost of energy on the Maltese taxpayer.”
“While helping those in need is a priority, doing so in a sustainable manner is in the interest of all – one million euros per day on these subsidies is definitely not!” he concluded.
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Is-sussidji fuq il-fuel u l-elettriku mhux sostenibbli
Waqt konferenza stampa fil-Marsa dalgħodu, iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party Carmel Cacopardo saħaq li s-sussidji li qegħdin jingħataw bħalissa fuq il-fuel u l-elettriku – li jaqbżu aktar minn miljun Ewro kuljum – mhux sostenibbli. Filwaqt li tibqa’ prijorità li tingħata għajnuna lil min jeħtieġha, dan għandu jsir b’mod sostenibbli għall-ġid ta’ kulħadd.
Dr Ralph Cassar Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ ADPD – The Green Party semma’ kif il-Prim Ministru iddikjara li ma kienetx ħaġa faċli li biex tara li is-sussidji ma jingħatawx lil min jiflaħ iħallas jew inkella jaħli. Kwalunkwe deċiżjoni f’dan ir-rigward qatt ma kienet se tkun faċli, sostna Cassar. Madankollu hemm il-ħtieġa li jittieħdu l-miżuri neċessarji mill-aktar fis biex jitnaqqsu s-sussidji u biex minflok tingħata għajnuna diretta lil għandu bżonnha. Huwa dmir il-politiċi fit-tmexxija li d-deċiżjonijiet neċessarji u ġusti jittieħdu kemm jista’ jkun malajr.
Li kien ġie eliminat is-sussidju fuq il-fuel għal dgħajjes kbar kien pass fid-direzzjoni t-tajba: dan kien biss eżempju wieħed kif min jiflaħ iħallas kien qed jirkeb fuq dahrna. L-edukazzjoni, is-saħħa, it-transizzjoni urġenti lejn sorsi ta’ enerġija rinnovabbli u nodfa huma biss ftit eżempji ta’ fejn jistgħu jsiru investimenti diretti. “L-aħħar ħaġa li dan il-pajjiż għandu bżonn huwa inqas investiment f’dak li jista’ jwassal għal titjib fil-ħajja ta’ ġenerazzjonijiet futuri – edukazzjoni diċenti. Tabilħaqq, hemm bżonn aktar riżorsi u mhux inqas f’dan is-settur,” temm Cassar.
Carmel Cacopardo qal li jekk wieħed jillimita is-sussidji fuq il-fuel u l-elettriku jkun jista’ jalloka aktar fondi lejn dawk is-setturi tas-soċjetà u tal-ekonomija li l-aktar għandhom bżonnhom. Huwa saħaq li s-sussidju li qegħdin jingħataw bħalissa fuq il-fuel u l-elettriku – li jaqbżu aktar minn miljun Ewro kuljum – mhumiex sostenibbli. Madankollu, dawn is-sussidji jistgħu jitnaqqsu b’mod għaqli li jwassal biex setturi oħra jibbenefikaw.
Ngħidu aħna, tnaqqis tas-sussidji fuq il-petrol u d-diesel għandu jwassal għal inqas karozza fit-toroq tagħna u jħajjar aktar nies biex jużgħu it-trasport pubbliku li mix-xahar id-dieħel se jsir b’xejn. Dan għandu jwassal ukoll għal titjib biex is-servizz ikun wieħed aktar affidabbli u effiċjenti. Kif kien ġie indikat min-National Transport Master Plan, nofs il-vjaġġi li jsiru minn vetturi privati huma ta’ anqas minn kwarta u għalhekk it-trasport pubbliku huwa alternattiva xierqa. L-istess Master Plan isemmi miżuri oħra li intesew bħala ngħidu aħna rotot ta’ prijorità għal karozzi tal-linja. Aħna nitolbu ukoll aktar minn hekk: nesiġu li tiġi introdotta sistema ta’ Bus Rapid Transit, u toroq aktar sikuri għal trasport nadif bħal roti, pedelecs u scooters. Dil-ġimgħa hija l-Ġimgħa Ewropea tal-Mobilità – tassew għandna ħafna x’naqdfu f’dal-pajjiż biex naslu għal mobilità sostenibbli.
Dawk is-setturi ekonomiċi li huma dipendenti ħafna fuq l-użu tal-petrol jew id-diesel jistgħu jiġu mgħejuna direttament b’assistenza speċifika li tikkonsidra dawk il-ħtiġijiet. Dan jista’ japplika ukoll fil-każ tal-elettriku. Filwaqt li l-użu bażiku domestiku għandu jibqa’ issussidjat, l-għajnuna lin-negozji u lill-industrija għandha tingħata skond it-tip ta’ attività u il-bżonnijiet tagħha. Il-flus minfuqa fuq is-sussidji jistgħu jiġu investiti aħjar fi programmi ta’ enerġija effiċjenti u rinnovabbli.
Cacopardo tenna l-importanza ta’ żieda fl-użu ta’ enerġija rinnovabbli. “Għandu jkun hemm aktar enerġija rinnovabbli bis-saħħa ta’ użu aħjar tal-bjut tal-binjiet pubbliċi filwaqt individwi għandhom ikun imħeġġa jagħmlu l-istess.
“Filwaqt li tibqa’ prijorita’ li tingħata għajnuna lil min jeħtieġha, dan għandu jsir b’mod sostenibbli għal ġid ta’ kulħadd – miljun Ewro u aktar kuljum f’sussidju żgur li mhuwiex!” temm Cacopardo.
