[WATCH] Bernard Grech: PN government will refund €50 million stolen by government through utility bills

Opposition leader Bernard Grech says a Nationalist government will seek the cheapest source of energy

Opposition leader Bernard Grech
Opposition leader Bernard Grech

A Nationalist government will make good for the €50 million stolen by a Labour government through the overbilling of utilities, leader Bernard Grech said.

Following a draft report by the Auditor General it was revealed that ARMS had racked up €6.5 million in “extra charges”. The Opposition has described this as a blatant theft in how water and electricity bills are calculated.

On Saturday, hundreds visited the PN HQ in Msida to register their interest in the refund scheme.

Interviewed by journalist Mark Laurence Zammit, Grech said the situation had been flagged by the PN for a number of years.

“The party has investigated it by analysing thousands of bills. The Auditor General has now confirmed these findings,” Grech said, stating government inaction on the situation shows it was comfortable in robbing people.

Grech acknowledged the exercise to recalculate past utility bills would take time, but pledged that all money “stolen” from consumers would be paid back.

On how he would refund consumers, Grech said a PN government would be buying energy from the cheapest source, stating the country was being robbed €10 million a year for choosing the most expensive provider, Electrogas.

The PN leader said a similar exercise will be held in the coming days in Sannat for Gozitan residents, while an online platform will also be launched soon.

On COVID-19, the Nationalist leader said the Prime Minister Robert Abela had misled people by promising normality by the end of May. He said that this has resulted in DJs and event organisers being left in the dark over their future.

He did agree with government’s decision to not host mass events, stating it is the right thing to do at this moment in time.

Grech was also asked on a recent MaltaToday survey which showed the Labour party leading by 39,000 votes. Grech’s trust rating also crashed by 10 points.

He said surveys only provide a snapshot of the situation, stating it was carried out during a public spat between MPs Adrian Delia and Jason Azzopardi.

On cannabis, Grech said the PN will be taking a “responsible position” on government’s proposal to extend decriminalisation. He did point out that small amounts were already decriminalised in 2015.

On his MPs’ use of cannabis, and whether he would tolerate them making use of the substance, Grech said they can do whatever they want in their own time.

In light of PN Spokesperson for the Elderly and Community Care Maria Deguara’s comments that many cannabis users have psychological issues or have a weak character, Grech said the PN does not share this view.

“I always insisted that the person should be in the centre of politics and whoever is abusing of drugs is a person too”, he said on the matter.