Id-diskors tal-Ministru tal-Finanzi illum waqt laqgħa mal-imsieħba soċjali, li waqtu semma’ s-sussidji ma’ jikkonsidrax l-istampa sħiħa. Fil-fatt hemm aktar għażliet li jista’ jagħmel il-gvern milli kollox jew xejn. Hekk saħqu kelliema ta’ ADPD-The Green Party fi stqarrija.

Iċ-Chairperson tal-partit Sandra Gauci qalet:”Segwejna d-diskors tal-Ministru tal-Finanzi dwar il-politika tal-Gvern dwar is-sussidji tal-enerġija. Il-Ministru fid-diskors tiegħu jitkellem dwar żewġ alternattivi: jew sussidji kif qed jgħid il-Gvern inkella xejn. Il-Gvern hu fil-fehma tagħna żbaljat li qed jikkunsidra biss dawn iż-żewġ alternattivi. Bħala ADPD dejjem tkellimna dwar il-ħtieġa ta’ sussidji tal-elettriku, imma b’sussidji mfassla li jipproteġu l-konsum bażiku, u mhux il-konsum kollu. Sussidju li m’għandux japplika għal konsum esaġerat. Is-sussidju propost mill-Gvern, across the board japplika ukoll għal min jikkonsma bl-addoċċ bl-istess mod għal min jikkonsma bil-għaqal.”

Id-Deputat Chairperson ta’ ADPD-The Green Party Carmel Cacopardo żied:”Is-sussidji tal-elettriku, kemm dak residenzjali kif ukoll dak kummerċjali, għandu jkunu imfassla b’mod li jkun skoraġġit il-ħela. B’dak propost mill-Gvern dan mhuwiex possibbli. Imbagħad hemm is-sussidji tal-fuel. Hemm alternattivi prattiċi għal dan: organizzazzjoni aħjar tat-trasport pubbliku jinkoraġixxi iktar nies biex ma jagħmlux użu minn karozzi privati u allura jnaqqas l-utilità ta’ sussidju ta’ petrol u diesel. Sussidji fuq kollox għal kulħadd, kull industrija u kull negozju jfisser li min għandu dħul medju u baxx, negozji żgħar, min jara li jimmodera l-konsum u min jagħmel għażliet biex inaqqas il-konsum qiegħed jissusidja mit-taxxi tiegħu lil min jaħli u lil min jiflaħ iħallas. Il-verità hi li l-400 milun Euro ta’ sussidji qed jieklu minn investiment f’oqsma importanti bħall-enerġija rinovabbli, t-trasport pubbliku u anke servizzi tas-saħħa, fost oħrajn. Aktar sussidji lil min jiflaħ ifissru li l-pagi baxxi jibqgħu staġnati, ifissru anqas mediċini moderni għal min ma jiflaħx iħallas, ifissru ftehimiet kollettivi li jitħallew skaduti, u servizzi pubbliċi taħt pressjoni kbira.”

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Subsidies: Government has more options than an all or nothing approach

The Finance Minister’s comments today during a meeting with the social partners, in which he referred to subsidies, fail to take the full picture into account. In fact, the Government has more options available to it than an all-or-nothing approach. This was stressed by spokespersons for ADPD-The Green Party in a statement.

ADPD Chairperson Sandra Gauci said: “We followed the Finance Minister’s speech on the Government’s policy on energy subsidies. In his speech, the Minister presented two alternatives: either blanket subsidies, or nothing at all. In our view, the Government is wrong to consider only these two alternatives. As ADPD, we have always spoken about the need for electricity subsidies, but these should be designed to protect basic consumption, rather than subsidising all consumption. Subsidies should not apply to excessive consumption. The Government’s across-the-board subsidy would applies equally to those who consume recklessly and to those who consume responsibly.”

ADPD-The Green Party Deputy Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo added:

“Electricity subsidies, both for households and businesses, should be designed in a way that discourages waste. This would not be possible under the system proposed by the Government. Then there are fuel subsidies. There are practical alternatives to these: better organisation of public transport would encourage more people not to use private cars and would therefore reduce the need for petrol and diesel subsidies.”

“Blanket subsidies for everyone, every industry and every business, mean that people on low and middle incomes, small businesses, those who moderate their consumption and those who make choices to reduce their consumption are effectively subsidising, through their taxes, those who waste and those who can afford to pay.”

“The truth is that the €400 million in subsidies is eating into investment in important areas such as renewable energy, public transport and even healthcare, among others. More blanket subsidies mean that low wages remain stagnant, fewer modern medicines are available to those who cannot afford them, collective agreements are allowed to expire, and public services remain under immense pressure.”