Labour leader calls for Auditor General’s investigation into ARMS Ltd

Opposition leader Joseph Muscat will present a parliamentary motion calling for an investigation by the Auditor General into the way ARMS Ltd was set up, and the way the contract for the installation of smart meters was awarded.

ARMS Ltd is the billing company jointly owned by Enemalta and the Water Services Corporation.

The motion calls on the government to present to the House all agreements signed for the provision and installation of the smart meters; and to present an action plan for ARMS’s billing service, which has been the source of frustration for many consumers since the Valletta billing office was closed down.

The motion also demands an investigation into how ARMS Ltd was created, the way its managers were chosen and the reasons why consumers are not being given a good service by ARMS.

The motion asks for an investigation into how the contract for smart meters was awarded, whether the Government is getting value for money on the contract and to identify the political responsibility on those who are leading this project.

"ARMS was intended to offer an excellent service to consumers with an advanced IT system, and to issue precise bills every two months," Labour leader Joseph Muscat said.

"But government has persistently refused to publish the agreement for the installation of smart meters, which is valued at some €70 million. The systems that have been commissioned are not giving the expected results and are instead producing exaggerated readings and incorrect bills," Muscat said.

Muscat added that many households had not yet received their energy benefits. "This motion deplores the management of ARMS Ltd, which was not even able to find an alternative location to the Valletta billing office. We understand that the higher ranks in ARMS's management have been chosen directly by the responsible ministry."