16% increase in utility rates for industry

by Franco Aloisio

As from this month, businesses will be facing higher water and electricity bills as a result of the revised utility rates announced in November 1998. The increases amount to a 16 per cent hike over last year's bills.

Just two months following the re-election of the Nationalist government, Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami had announced new tariffs for water and electricity consumption. The rates for 1999 were less than those introduced by the Labour administration.

However, the tariffs were planned to increase steadily during 2000 and 2001. The industrial rates for water consumption will go up by 16 per cent as from this month from 60c per cubic metre to 70c per cubic metre. In 1998, the rate was 35c per cubic metre. A further rise of 20 per cent will apply in 2001.

Hotels will also be paying higher tariffs. Water consumption up to 14 cubic metres will be charged at 80c per cubic metre as opposed to the 1999 rate of 75c. In 2001, there will be an increase of another 10c per cubic metre of water consumed in hotels.

Water consumption in agricultural and the agro-food industry will also increase by 3c per cubic metre from 12c to 15c for consumption up to 2,270 cubic metres. Above this amount, the increase from last year is higher, from 25c per cubic metre to 30c.