No end in sight to the electricity crisis: no power, no compensation and no political accountability

We have reached the end of August and, contrary to everything the Government tried to promise and portray, the crisis in Malta’s electricity distribution system is still with us and the problems remain unresolved.

In recent days alone, residents, businesses and families in Mosta, Tarxien, Żejtun, Fgura, Paola, Santa Luċija and St Julian’s, among many other localities, have endured serious hardship after spending long hours without electricity, with some even left without power for more than an entire day.

The crisis reached particularly distressing levels when even a care home for older persons in Gżira was left without electricity for half a day. Residents could not even have meals prepared for them, while some had to be taken home by relatives because they could no longer cope with the situation. Several businesses and commercial establishments were also left with no option but to suspend operations and remain closed.

All this is happening after a series of empty promises that the problems would be resolved, and after Minister Miriam Dalli boasted of €140 million in expenditure over the past three years — spending which has clearly failed to give people the reassurance they were promised.

Despite this ongoing debacle and the repeated failures in the system, Miriam Dalli has still not assumed political responsibility. Meanwhile:

• Robert Abela and the Labour Government continue to refuse to debate and bring to a vote the motion of no confidence in the Minister, which calls on her to assume political responsibility for this failure;
• Government MPs on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) refused to discuss the National Audit Office (NAO) report from two years ago, which clearly highlighted the lack of adequate planning and investment in the grid during the preceding ten years;
• To date, we have heard nothing concrete about the fair compensation owed to all those — families, older persons and businesses — who have suffered hardship, financial losses and major inconvenience. The Partit Nazzjonalista continues to insist that such compensation should be provided for in law and paid automatically by the operator to all those who are deprived of the service.

The Maltese and Gozitan people have had enough of excuses, empty words and the waste of public funds without results. The Partit Nazzjonalista therefore reiterates its call for:

1. Minister Miriam Dalli to assume political responsibility;
2. The National Audit Office report to stop being blocked from discussion before the Public Accounts Committee — something unprecedented;
3. A dedicated helpline to be established for vulnerable people whose health is put at risk by power cuts;
4. A transparent regulatory framework for automatic compensation to all consumers and businesses affected by these repeated outages;
5. A full and detailed account of how the €140 million that was meant to prevent this crisis was spent;
6. Enemalta’s audited accounts from 2022 onwards to be published.

Mark Anthony Sammut
Shadow Minister for Energy and the Environment

27.08.2026