PN: Where is power cut compensation?

The Nationalist Party has criticised government for failing to follow-up on promises of compensation for those affected by power cuts more than a month after large parts of the country were hit.

“This delay is unacceptable, particularly for the self-employed and small and medium-sized businesses which, a month ago, had to close their doors, turn customers away, lose hours and days of work, dispose of products and food and, in some cases, suffer damage to their equipment,” it said.

The PN said despite pledges by government, the application forms enabling those who suffered losses to claim the compensation owed to them have not even been published, “let alone has the compensation itself been paid.”

It said the move could be detrimental to small business owners and self-employed individuals.

The PN said an automatic compensation system should be put in place, based on clear and transparent criteria.

“Unfortunately, the Government continued to insist that compensation would not be granted automatically, saying instead that it would issue application forms for those affected by power cuts lasting more than six hours. Yet if, one month later, the Government has still not even published these forms, how can businesses apply?” the PN said.

“The government and Enemalta already have information showing where the power cuts occurred and how long they lasted. Wherever this information can be used to establish who was affected, compensation should be paid automatically or through the simplest possible process, instead of requiring those who have already suffered losses to submit documents and navigate bureaucratic procedures.”

The PN said it is not enough for the government to say that it will provide compensation. “The compensation must reach those who need it, and it must reach them immediately.”

It said the “very least” the government can do, after failing to provide a reliable electricity service, is ensure that the losses suffered by families and businesses are compensated fully, fairly and, above all, promptly.

Last month, as a heat wave swept over Malta, energy demands reached a record high, leading to power cuts across a number of localities.