The Nationalist Party said that two months have passed since the Government ”gave in to pressure from the PN and promised compensation to families and businesses that suffered losses as a result of power cuts during the summer. Yet once again, Robert Abela has failed to keep his word.”

”To date, not only has no one received any compensation, but the Government has not even published the application forms,” said the PN.

In a joint statement, Michael Piccinino Shadow Minister for the Self-Employed, Small Enterprises and Cooperatives, Darren Carabott Shadow Minister for the Economy, Technology and Strategic Projects and Mark Anthony Sammut Shadow Minister for Energy and the Environment, reiterated the words of Party Leader Alex Borg, that ”this compensation should be paid immediately to those affected.”

They argued that ”this delay is unacceptable, particularly for small businesses, for whom cash flow is essential. They had to cover the costs caused by the power cuts immediately, yet two months later they are still waiting for the Government to honour its promise.”

The Opposition Spokespersons pointed out that ”this is happening at the same time as the President of The Malta Chamber, William Spiteri Bailey, has drawn attention to the fact that the Government is giving the public the impression that everything is going well, while behind closed doors social partners are being warned about pressure on public finances and the need to rein in expenditure.”

The PN said that it therefore asks whether the Prime Minister ”now considers the compensation he promised to be an additional expense he would rather avoid. This compensation is not a favour being granted by the Government, but a right for those who suffered losses because of the failure to provide a reliable electricity supply.”

The PN has insisted that the Government should provide automatic compensation based on clear and transparent criteria. ”The Government and Enemalta already have information on where the power cuts occurred and how long they lasted, and this information should be used to provide compensation without unnecessary bureaucracy.”

The PN stressed that for additional losses, including damage to appliances, products and stock that had to be discarded, lost sales or the forced closure of businesses, there should be a simple and effective process through which these losses can be declared and fairly compensated.

”Having failed to guarantee a reliable electricity supply, the Government is now also failing to deliver on its promise of compensation. The Nationalist Party therefore insists that the Government must stop dragging its feet and ensure that families and businesses receive full and fair compensation without any further delay,” it said.

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Permalink: 2 months after promising power cut compensation no payments have been received – PN