17 - 23 February 2000

'The country must get its act together' - Louis Farrugia

by David Kelleher

Malta needs to have cheaper telecommunications prices and the country has to get its act together, Louis Farrugia, chief executive officer and managing director of Simonds Farsons Cisk plc said yesterday.

The former President of the Chamber of Commerce was speaking at the end of a session on privatisation, liberalisation and monopolies during the annual Federation of Industry conference in Qawra.

Mr Farrugia said that much had been said about liberalisation and other issues, but what the country really needed was cheaper telecommunications prices.

"This country needs lower prices. This country needs to get its act together," Mr Farrugia said, his comments directed at the Finance Minister John Dalli and Joe Grioli, managing director of Vodafone.

In answer to Mr Farrugia's call for lower prices, Mr Grioli said that mobile phone bills would have been 25 per cent lower if Vodafone's price restructuring exercise had been approved by the Regulator.

Minister Dalli however said the lower price issue was simply a case of "beating about the bush" and the real issue was that of eliminating monopolies.

"We are actively negotiating with all the partners involved to see what has to be done. Liberalisation is high on the government's agenda and in the coming weeks Malta will also have realistic and competitive rates across the board," Minister Dalli said.