Opposition MP alleges abusive promotions at ARMS Ltd

Nationalist MP Mark Anthony Sammut has raised serious allegations regarding promotions at ARMS Ltd, the public entity responsible for water and electricity billing.

Speaking during a parliamentary debate on the Environment Ministry’s budget, he described the 2023 promotion cycle as “abusive and politicised,” arguing that it was dominated by individuals linked to the Labour Party rather than based on merit.

Sammut cited a report by an internal appeals board, which found that out of 70 appeals submitted by employees, 60 were justified. He accused the selection boards of ignoring proper evaluation procedures, failing to verify candidates’ eligibility, and awarding points based on subjective criteria such as “personality, motivation, and emotional stability” without qualified assessors.

He further claimed that certain allowances had been given to employees in advance, giving them an unfair advantage over other candidates. According to Sammut, this resulted in promotions being granted to individuals who were not qualified or who had not even applied for the positions.

“The process was systematically flawed and politically influenced,” Sammut said. “When you look at ARMS today, it’s hard to tell whether you’re in a public entity or the headquarters of the Labour Party.”

He called on Minister Miriam Dalli to investigate the promotion process, implement the Standard Operating Procedures outlined by the appeals board, and ensure transparency and accountability for future promotions.

Sammut warned that the lack of merit-based promotions undermines employee morale and ultimately affects the quality of services provided to the public. “Citizens are the ones who suffer when competent staff are sidelined in favour of political considerations,” he said.