Photo: David Reiling

Why are Esso and other popular international brands of petroleum products available in Cyprus but not in Malta?

Why is the price of unleaded petrol in Cyprus €1.133 per litre, 18.7c lower than in Malta? Why does premium unleaded petrol in Cyprus sell for €1.179, 14.1c lower than an inferior quality of petrol in Malta? And why does diesel in Cyprus cost €1.083 per litre, 13.7c lower than here?

How is it possible for the Ministry for Energy in Cyprus to attract local representatives of foreign oil companies to provide their products and services in spite of the fact that a third of Cyprus is occupied by Turkey?

Why has the Ministry for Energy in Malta failed to attract a single representative of a foreign oil company? How could the European Commission not see that Malta’s ministry is crowding out the local representatives of foreign oil companies through its state-owned company, Enemed, in spite of all its talk about being pro-business.

Is it possible that the Commission is allowing the local authorities to take it for a ridewith their excuses to maintain the dominant position of Enemed?

Esso, BP and Shell used to provide their products and services in Malta 40 years ago.

Why have they not returned following accession to the EU?

The importation, storage and wholesale of petrol and diesel should not remain in the hands of the government or Enemed.

They should be in the hands of local representatives of the foreign oil companies, as in Cyprus. It is evident that either Enemed is not competent to procure its supplies of petrol and diesel at competitive prices or it is making huge profits at the expense of consumers.

On paper, Malta has the necessary institutions, such as the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority, the Malta Resources Authority and the Regulator for Energy and Water Services, but they are all useless when it comes to the practices of state-owned companies.