local news

Sant uses new argument to bolster anti-EU campaign
By Kurt Sansone

The final balance of food prices once Malta joins the EU will see the consumer going under by Lm4, according to Labour leader Alfred Sant, who yesterday visited a family-run bakery in Qormi. Dr Sant explained that for every Lm1 that Maltese consumers would save by the removal of levies on pork, chicken and eggs, they would be spending Lm5 more for bread, confectionery products, butter and other local products using sugar.

Over the past weeks, Dr Sant has been visiting Maltese producers who are likely to be hard hit by EU accession. During his visits at pig and chicken farms, Dr Sant said that Maltese producers would not be able to compete with imported EU produce because it would be cheaper, even if the price benefited consumers.

The argument changed completely yesterday. If Malta joins the EU the price of bread would go up because Malta would have to buy its wheat at higher prices from EU countries. This time, Dr Sant lamented that the increase in prices would burden the consumer.

When asked by MaltaToday to clarify the Labour Party’s conflicting position over the effect of food prices on the consumer, Dr Sant said that Malta could not cope with a one way protection system.

He added that the EU will retain levies on cereals, butter and sugar and at the same time, oblige Malta to remove levies protecting local produce.

The Labour leader insisted that Maltese producers in the agro-food business could not compete with EU producers not because they were incapable, but because of the size of Malta’s market. The removal of levies would destroy pig and chicken farmers.

Back to the bakery tour, proprietor Joe Falzon showed Dr Sant around. Mr Falzon has been in the business for more then 35 years. The Qormi baker who said that he was a CNI member then treated everybody present to sandwiches, cakes and imported cold Dutch beer!