Bernard Grech proposes 20% cut on overnight charging fees for electric vehicles

Opposition Leader Bernard Grech has proposed a 20% reduction in overnight charging fees for electric vehicles, which would see the current 13c rate fall to 10c5 per unit.

During a political activity on Sunday, Grech said that the Nationalist Party is continuing to draft an energy strategy for Malta to help achieve cheap energy bills while still safeguarding clean air quality.

“We believe that energy can be crucial for the future of our country,” he said, addressing supporters at the party’s headquarters. “We will continue coming up with new environmental proposals because our party stands for the environment.”

Grech said that this proposal seeks to help those interested in switching to electric vehicles, while further encouraging those who have already traded in their diesel or petrol-powered cars.

He added that the Nationalist Party is also looking into another energy proposal targeted at those who have invested in solar panels. Those who have invested in a PV system receive around a 5% return on the investment by selling the electricity at a 7c5 market price, even after their feed-in tariff expires.

The Nationalist Party is offering that the electricity be sold at 10c5 for each unit generated, instead of the 7c5 currently given by government.

“Air Malta needs a national plan” – Bernard Grech

On tourism, Grech said that ensuring state aid to Air Malta must be given priority by government, and that the PN will spearhead all efforts possible to save the airline. He stated that Air Malta provides support not only to the workers employed directly by the airline, but further helps thousands of workers whose livelihood depends on the tourism sector.

Newspaper Illum earlier revealed how Air Malta is losing some €170,000 every day in operational losses, as confirmed by the Finance Minister Clyde Caruana himself, with government expected to present a state aid plan to the European Commission next month.

Caruana in fact said that the state aid would cost “tens of millions” of euro in the first year alone, and if Brussels fails to give government the green-light for state aid, Air Malta will have just weeks to live.

“Saving Air Malta is crucial – we have to make sure that tourists still have the best accessibility to our country when the pandemic passes, which will in turn continue to boost the tourism industry,” he said.

Team Malta

On “Team Malta”, a slogan recently adopted during the Labour Party’s weekly political activities, Grech said that the Nationalist Party is committed to elevating Malta’s name through the decisions taken by the Opposition.

However, he criticised government for using the “Team Malta” rallying cry to preach about national unity while allowing injustice to fester in different facets of Maltese life.

For the Nationalist Party, Grech said that “Team Malta” should be about rewarding people on the basis of merit, and not on nepotism.

“We are asking you to trust us so that we can move this country forward as we have done in the past. My leadership will promote Malta with honesty and fair politics,” he stated.