PN reveals wasted €90 million in EU funds, plans to electrify public bus fleet scrapped

The Nationalist Party has revealed that government is withdrawing EU funds intended to replace over 100 diesel buses with electric ones, leading to a loss of some €90 million in EU funds.

According to the PN, this decision has not only cost Malta millions in EU funding but has also derailed a significant private investment plan tied to the initiative.  

The project, valued at €34 million and funded through the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), was a joint effort between the Maltese government, the European Commission, and Malta Public Transport (MPT). 

However, the opposition said that government’s failure to uphold its commitments has left the initiative in disarray. The PN revealed that this misstep resulted in the forfeiture of €7 million from a central EU fund won through competitive proposals. These funds were originally allocated to establish charging infrastructure for electric buses, but with the withdrawal of the bus project, the infrastructure has become redundant.  

The PN said that MPT is now required to refund EU funds already disbursed as pre-financing and abandon a €50 million private investment that was crucial for the project. 

The government’s decision has also breached its agreement with the European Commission, which had approved the funding under the Recovery and Resilience Plan in 2021, updated in 2023. 

“Questions now arise as to how the €34 million in EU funds withdrawn from this investment will be used,” the PN said.

In a press conference in the Valletta bus terminal, PN MPs underscored the broader implications of the government's failure, particularly for public health and environmental sustainability. 

The noted that the inability to transition to electric buses means that Malta will continue to rely on diesel public transport.

PN shadow ministers Ryan Callus, David Agius, and Eve Borg Bonello expressed their frustration over what they described as a clear example of the government’s incompetence and misplaced priorities. 

They contrasted the government’s unwillingness to fund a crucial public health initiative with its readiness to allocate €70,000 for an unjustified consultancy linked for Clayton Bartolo’s wife.

“This is a government that spares no expense for its inner circle but cuts corners on initiatives that would improve the lives and health of the Maltese people,” the spokespersons said. 

They added that over €90 million has been wasted when accounting for lost EU funds, required repayments, and abandoned private investment.  

The PN called on the government to honor its obligations to the Maltese people and the European Commission by reinstating the electric bus project. 

They warned that every delay in action exacerbates the public health crisis and tarnishes Malta’s reputation within the EU.