‘Muscat should stop taking people for a ride’ on Delimara - Busuttil

Opposition leader Simon Busuttil has called on Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to honour his promise on an LNG plant and reduce energy tariffs.

But it was a muted response from Busuttil, who veered off the playbook and did not keep Muscat to book on his boast that he would resign if the Delimara plant would not be ready by the March 2015 deadline he had himself imposed.

“The people expect Muscat to honour his promise and build the power station to reduce tariffs,” Busuttil said on the same day that Muscat said businesses would get their tariff cuts in March 2015.

“Muscat should stop taking people for a ride… he cannot blame anyone. This is his project,” he said in a recorded comment.

In a statement the PN said Muscat was not keeping his promises and that his credibility had nosedived. “Muscat admitted failing in his biggest promise… he’s been saying the project was on track for the past 18 months. The people deserve clear answers and to know what will happen on the project that will deliver cheaper energy.”

While Busuttil gave out a recorded comment, Muscat this morning told party faithful in Marsaxlokk that the government will miss the March 2015 deadline for gas-fired power station in Delimara, claiming however, that the delay would only be for “a few months, and not years.”

Echoing the comments of health minister Konrad Mizzi that the construction of the power station will be delayed, the prime minister said that notwithstanding the delay, the energy tariff reductions for businesses would come into force as promised.
The government says that negotiations with the Electrogas consortium, which will build the power station, supply the gas, and run the plant, had to be reopened when Chinese state-owned company Shanghai Electric Power acquired a €320 million stake in Enemalta.

Muscat has already cut energy tariffs by 25% for households and energy minister Konrad Mizzi says Enemalta’s ‘business plan’ as it stands today can allow for a further cuts for businesses.