“Bejn din is-sena u s-sena li ġejja, il-Gvern se jkun qed jonfoq aktar minn biljun ewro f’sussidji fil-prezzijiet tal-enerġija.”
Stqarr dan il-Ministru għall-Finanzi Clyde Caruana waqt business breakfast organizzat mit-Times of Malta.
Hawn il-Ministru Clyde Caruana aċċenna għall-importanza ta’ dawn is-sussidji filwaqt li saħaq li mingħajr l-għajnuna tal-Gvern, il-kontijiet tal-enerġija tal-konsumaturi kienu jogħlew b’mija u erbgħin fil-mija.
Huwa qal li n-nefqa fuq is-sussidji marbuta mal-enerġija hija fost l-aktar nefqiet kruċjali għall-pajjiż, hekk kif hija din in-nefqa li qed iżżomm l-istabbilità fl-ekonomija Maltija.
“In order for Enemalta not to go bankrupt, the bills would have to increase by about 140%. Now can you imagine what would be the consequences of that on the business community? From some internal projections that we did in the economic projections department, if we had to do that instantaneously, we would give a shock to GDP that is equal to 2.5% and that is perpetual.”
Fost dawk li jkollhom jaffaċċjaw ir-riperkussjonijiet taż-żidiet fil-prezzijiet tal-enerġija, li kieku l-Gvern mhux jagħmel tajjeb għalihom, il-Ministru Clyde Caruana pponta lejn in-negozji.
“Instead of havina a COLA which is likely to be just short of €10 that would have gone up to €24, €25. How many business could afford that kind of cost of living adjustment. I mean the ramifications would be very significant. Just look and read what is happening in mainland Europe.”
Dwar l-effetti tal-prezzijiet tal-enerġija fuq l-ekonomija, il-Ministru Clyde Caruana fakkar kif wara l-elfejn u tlettax, meta l-prezzijiet tal-enerġija bdew jinżlu, l-ekonomija ħadet ir-ruħ. Bl-istess mod, jekk dawn il-prezzijiet jogħlew f’daqqa jekk jitneħħew is-sussidji tal-Gvern, l-impatt tagħhom ikun wieħed diżastruż.
Il-Ministru osserva wkoll kif waqt id-diskussjoni, il-mistoqsijiet minn dawk preżenti kienu jikkonċernaw l-ambjent u ż-żgħażagħ, fost l-oħrajn.
Qal li dan huwa l-każ għaliex il-poplu u n-negozji m’humiex jerfgħu t-toqol tal-kriżi tal-enerġija hekk kif il-Gvern qed jilqa’ għal dawn id-daqqiet.
