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Il-Prezz tal-Fuel

Dan l-artiklu ġie ippublikat fil-ħarġa tal-Mument tal-Ħadd 11 ta' Jannar 2015


“Fl-inqas livell minn Mejju 2009 ‘l hawn.” Hekk niżel il-prezz taż-żejt fil-bidu ta’ din is-sena, hekk kif kompla nieżel kif ilu jagħmel min-nofs is-sena l-oħra. Il-prezz taż-żejt din il-ġimgħa kien qed jilgħab mal-$51-il barmil, inqas min-nofs il-$115-il barmil li kien qed jintalab għaż-żejt f’Ġunju li għadda.

L-ironija hija li waqt li l-Ewropa kollha qed tiċċelebra tnaqqis sostanzjali fil-prezz tal-fuels li dan ġab, b’medja ta’ tnaqqis ta’ 32ċ fil-litru, f’Malta lanqas biss indunajna, u qed inħallsu fost l-ogħla rati għal petrol u diesel fl-Ewropa.

Ejja għal mument ninsew il-prezzijiet fl-Ewropa, u nħarsu lejn il-prezzijiet tal-fuel f’pajjiżna matul is-snin. F’Ottubru 2009, meta l-prezz taż-żejt kien ogħla mil-lum u kien jilgħab mas-$70-il barmil, f’Malta konna nħallsu €0.96 għal litru diesel u €1.11 għal litru petrol. Illum, li l-prezz taż-żejt hu irħas u qiegħed $51-il barmil, f’Malta qed inħallsu €1.35 għal litru diesel u €1.44 għal litru petrol! Qed inħallsu €0.39 iżjed għal kull litru diesel u €0.33 iżjed għal kull litru petrol, anke meta nqabblu l-prezzijiet ma’ meta ż-żejt kien ogħla milli hu illum.

Taf xi jfisser dan? Li għal kull €30 diesel li tagħti illum, €12 minnhom qed tħallashom ta’ xejn, u għal kull €30 petrol li tagħti illum, €9 minnhom qed tħallashom ta’ xejn. Dan ifisser li jekk int tagħti €30 fuel fil-ġimgħa, li hu l-medja ta’ ħafna, f’sena il-gvern qed jisirqek bejn €468 u €624 iżjed milli suppost. Ifisser li f’każ ta’ koppja li jaħdmu t-tnejn u t-tnejn imorru għax-xogħol bil-karozza, il-gvern qed jisraqhom bejn €936 u €1248 fis-sena.

Ċert li kulħadd jaf jagħmel il-kontijiet, u jaf jirrealizza li r-roħs żgħir fit-tariffi tad-dawl u l-ilma ma naqqasx l-ispiża ta’ koppja b’dawn l-ammonti, anzi hemm każi fejn il-mod il-ġdid kif qed jinħadmu l-kontijiet wassal biex ċertu familji tilfu l-eko-riduzzjoni u l-kont baqagħlhom l-istess. U dan meta bit-tnaqqis li kien hemm fil-prezz taż-żejt, anke t-tariffi tad-dawl u l-ilma setgħu jonqsu mingħajr ma l-gvern jagħmel l-ebda investiment, ma jżid l-ebda sussidju, u ma jibni l-ebda power-station ġdida tal-gass.

Hawnhekk wieħed jirrealizza kemm kellu raġun il-Partit Nazzjonalista meta iddeskriva l-budget bħala wieħed li jagħtik f’but, u jeħodlok minn ieħor. Il-gvern tak ċuċata fir-roħs fit-tariffi tad-dawl u l-ilma (mingħajr ma qallek li jista’ jkun qed titlef l-eko-riduzzjoni), u fl-istess waqt beda jeħodlok ħafna iżjed meta int tmur timla l-karozza mill-pompa tal-petrol.

Dawn il-figuri juru ħaġa waħda. Li jew il-gvern daħal bi ftehim ta’ hedging li qed jaħdem ħafna kontrina, jew il-gvern qed jagħżel li jisraqna biex jagħmel tajjeb għar-roħs fit-tariffi. Jew waħda, jew l-oħra. U hawn ukoll qed nerġgħu naraw sintomu kontinwu ta’ dan il-gvern: in-nuqqas ta’ trasparenza. Minkejja t-talbiet mill-Oppożizzjoni u anke minn diversi ġurnalisti biex jispjega għala pajjiżna għadna qed inħallsu dawn il-prezzijiet għoljin għal fuel, il-gvern baqa’ lura milli jagħti tweġiba. Għal darb’oħra qed nerġgħu naraw gvern ta’ ħabi. Gvern li jidhirlu li ċ-ċittadin m’għandux dinjita’ biżżejjed biex ikun infurmat bir-raġunijiet għala qed jittieħdu d-deċiżjonijiet li qed jaffetwawh.

Sfortunatament din hi t-tip ta’ politika li f’sentejn uriena dan il-gvern. Politika ta’ qerq u ħabi, politika ta’ manipulazzjoni kontinwa, politika ta’ logħob biċ-ċifri u bl-istatistika, politika li fiha jinkwieta iżjed fuq kif ħa jidher fil-mument u kif ħa jikkontrolla l-opinjoni pubblika fil-mument, milli fuq kif ħa nibnu l-futur u kif ħa mmexxu l-pajjiżna u l-poplu tiegħu ‘l quddiem.


Altru milli gvern progressiv, hija ħasra li għandna gvern li ħadna ħafna lura fiż-żmien.


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