A quicker, more efficient system of compensation for businesses and self-employed people who suffer power cuts is needed, Paul Abela, President of the Chamber of SMEs, told WhosWho.mt

Several localities around Malta have faced power cuts over the past days, angering residents, a number of whom complained about sleepless nights due to the heatwave. 

Enemalta had said that a number of the cuts were due to separate cable faults, and has been using mobile generators to temporarily restore power when it can.

Contacted by this newsroom, Mr Abela explained that it is pointless giving businesses compensation months later, especially because some work hand-to-mouth.

He stressed the need for a less bureaucratic system, and also said that if a business suffers a cut for more than an hour, they should be compensated for the whole day based on the average they would have sold, arguing that some businesses would just close, or wouldn’t accept bookings because they wouldn’t know when the power would be back.

Regarding the cuts themselves, Mr Abela said that investment is being made in the electrical grid, and he hopes it continues to do so, adding that he understands just how hard of a job Enemalta, and those leading it, have.

In comments to the press, Energy Minister Miriam Dalli on Monday acknowledged that more work needs to be done, and mentioned the high temperatures Malta has faced over the past days.

She said that where Enemalta invested as part of its distribution system reinforcement, “Enemalta was in a position to find an alternative in a short amount of time,” adding that there were instances where people had electricity again after a few minutes or an hour.

She said that there are areas where reinforcement work began, but there is still work to be done, highlighting the high level of investment the Government has made into the distribution network.