PN proposes compensation for people affected by power cuts

The Nationalist Party proposed that all those affected by power cuts be compensated for the time spent without power, following a number of power cuts in localities around the country. 

Speaking during a press conference, energy spokesperson Mark Anthony Sammut said that during the past years, Maltese summers have been characterised by severe heat and darkness. 

Sammut said that in 2022, when power cuts also plagued Maltese residences and businesses during the summer, energy minister Miriam Dalli had said that government was strengthening the country’s distribution network. He also reminded how Dalli said that this solution would lead to fewer power cuts, and when they occurred, the power cuts would not last long.

READ ALSO: Number of localities grapple with night-long power cut

Sammut placed the blame of the power cuts on “those who expect our energy infrastructure to perform miracles,” citing Malta’s increased demand for energy over the years due to a growing population and the additional construction activity that goes along with it.

Speaking about the situation within Enemalta, Sammut described it as a company “on its knees,” stating that its stock of service cable, which connects households to the electricity grid, is finished, save for some stock which is being stored for emergencies. He then lambasted government for its use of public funds, citing various scandals, while saying that government should instead use public funds to invest in the country’s energy infrastructure.

Therefore, Sammut proposed that compensation should be awarded to people who were hit by the power cuts or experienced unstable voltage. Additionally, he stressed that the distribution network across the country needs sufficient investment which cannot wait any longer, noting that the situation is such that during storms, the power station cannot work, and during the summer, the distribution network cannot keep up with the demand.

Alongside Sammut, spokesperson for social policy David Agius highlighted that due to the prolonged power cuts, people had to throw food away from their fridges, and resorted to sleeping in their cars so that they could use the air conditioning.