Power surcharge based on actual costs

Public Investments Minister Austin Gatt insisted in Parliament yesterday that the power surcharge is calculated on the basis of actual costs over the preceding two months and not future projections.

Speaking in reply to parliamentary questions, Dr Gatt said that whereas last year the surcharge was based on projections for the following year, as of November the surcharge was based on what Enemalta would have spent in Maltese liri on its imports.

The same change, he said, applied for the price of petroleum products such as diesel, petrol and unleaded petrol and in this case prices were now being reviewed every month rather than every quarter.

Dr Gatt denied that costings worked out by anonymous persons in a report tabled by Opposition leader Alfred Sant had not been countered, and said the opposition report ignored the basic premise that the surcharge was now calculated on the basis of actual costs rather than projections.

He said the government had no problem with an independent audit if such was requested by the MCESD.