GRTU has said in a statement that in some of the media today the Consumers’ Association had asserted that when GRTU, as Chamber of SMEs and national association representing retailers and traders, acts on behalf of its members, GRTU acts as a cartel. GRTU said that this is an incredible assertion. First and foremost, the right of Association in Malta is guaranteed by the Maltese Constitution and Government and State Authorities cannot be expected to treat owners of businesses as inferior citizens of Malta. Secondly associations of undertakings are recognised by the competition laws of the land and Consumers` Associations cannot pretend to deny to others what it enjoys itself as right at law.

The GRTU went on to say, “that on the whole issue of fuel prices and Petrol Station upgrading GRTU has consistently abided by competition rules and by the decisions of the Malta Resources Authority (MRA), the Public Regulator in the field of resources. Currently MRA has decided on the programme of investments that need to be implemented by petrol station owners so that, in pursuit of higher standards to consumers and to the environment in general, all petrol stations in Malta and Gozo attain EU approved standards, this involves a massive €26m investment. There is no way that this investment can be sustained without a restructuring of the whole structure of cost within the whole fuel distribution chain. This involves a review of costs by Enemalta and petrol station owners and a final decision by the MRA as to what prices will be made available to consumers. Within this framework there are 3 parties that represent all interests: MRA representing the interests of users and consumers and in support of the competitive structure of the market Enemalta Corporation as the only supplier of petrol and the major supplier of diesel to all petrol stations GRTU as the legitimate rep of all petrol station owners.”

This is exactly what is happening, all 3 parties are interested in ensuring that our country will have the highest quality petrol stations and financed and operated at the cost of the private petrol station owners, a profitable Enemalta operation as it has to operate on commercial levels and the maximum protection of users and consumers in the competitive structure of the market which is the responsibility of the MRA. The GRTU said.

The GRTU concluded by saying it is therefore most unethical and indeed ridiculous that an association like the consumers association makes puerile arguments, it is also unfortunate that while GRTU as an active participant of EuroCommerce maintains a very good relationship with BEUC (the European Consumers` Association) at EU level, in Malta the relationship between the national retailers and traders association and the consumer association remains at the level of antagonistic press statements.

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