Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/621909
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 3 JANUARY 2016 News -\SS*VSV\Y=LYZPVU C: M: Y: K: 0 0 0 100 C: M: Y: K: 0 100 100 0 C: M: Y: K: 50 100 100 20 TUNA AQUAMED MFF Ltd. - Hangar, Triq it-Trunciera, Marsaxlokk MXK1522 T: 2247 5000 E: contact@ebcon.com.mt www.mff.com.mt Farmed in Maltese offshore waters and delivered to you with special attention to freshness and to the highest standards. LOOK FOR OUR QUALITY MARK IN YOUR SUPERMARKET, FISHMONGER OR RESTAURANT FOR A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE. EAT FRESH EAT HEALTHY ENJOY OUR SEA BREAM MAT THEW VELLA THE Nationalist Party has de- nounced a 4c decrease in the price of diesel which it said does not ref lect the global fall in the price of oil. Enemed, the government owned fuel importer, announced fuel price reductions of as much as 4c per litre of diesel at the start of the new year. But the PN's shadow ministers, Mario de Marco and Marthese Portelli said the price of oil had fallen to as low as $35 a barrel, the lowest price in seven years. "This fall is the result of various geopolitical factors, among them the removal of production limits by OPEC, the removal of Iran sanctions, and better climatic conditions that reduced demand for energy," the two MPs said. "This means that the price of oil fell by 75% from its highest ever price, $140… a fall that has given substantial reductions to consumers and business owners across Europe of some 30c over the last 12 months in such coun- tries as Cyprus, Hungary and France. "The same could not be said for the Maltese, from whom the gov- ernment retains the bulk of the fall in price and then passes on a miserly reduction of 3c on petrol and 4c on diesel," de Marco and Portelli said. The two MPs said the meagre decrease was affecting families' spending power and keeping fuel prices in Malta among the high- est in Europe, chipping away at businesses' competitiveness. Alfred A. Farrugia, president of the Malta Automobile Club, has said his association will pe- tition the European Parliament to investigate the fuel market in Malta. "The price of regular unleaded petrol in Paphos, Cyprus was €1.136 per litre on 31 Decem- ber 2015, 18.4 cents lower than the current price in Malta after the reduction announced in the Budget speech," Farrugia said, citing information he received from a resident there. In October, Enemed issued a tender for two parcels of 1,300 metric tonnes of Premium un- leaded petrol (RON95) to be delivered in January and April, apart from six parcels of RON95 unleaded petrol to be delivered monthly between January and June 2016. "It is not known at which filling stations this Premium unleaded petrol will be going to and at what price. It is evident that at current international oil prices, the reductions announced in the Budget speech are a joke. If anything, the reductions should have been implemented in Oc- tober and not wait for three months to come into effect," Farrugia said. Farrugia has also questioned the reasoning for the higher fuel prices in Malta. "It's either in- competence at Enemed, which is unable to procure petrol and diesel at more competitive pric- es as other EU counties do, or Enemed is making exaggerated profits at the expense of Maltese consumers," he said. Enemed enjoys a dominant po- sition in the Maltese fuel mar- ket, despite the liberalisation in the fuel sector. Fuel price reductions 'peanuts' says PN as oil falls to $35 Filling up… the price of fuel was reduced from New Year's day