The Nationalist Party reported that the recent frequent power cuts have already cost Malta approximately €200 million.
The PN’s finance spokesperson, Jerome Caruana Cilia, along with the party’s economy spokesperson, Ivan Bartolo, and a team of experts, calculated this figure using publicly available data and information gathered from the public.
The power cuts, which lasted for 11 days and 10 consecutive nights, heavily impacted small and medium-sized businesses, causing unprecedented difficulties.
Caruana Cilia compared the current situation to a previous power cut 14 years ago, which was estimated to have cost between €8 million and €10 million, only considering the losses to marketable goods and services.
The country’s energy provider, Enemalta, attributed the power cuts to heatwave temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, causing faults in the distribution network’s high-voltage cables. Despite a slight decrease in temperatures, power cuts persisted.
The PN called for compensation for those affected by the cuts and urged the government to invest in infrastructure to avoid similar situations in the future.
The tourism industry was also hit hard, with tourists canceling bookings and leaving negative reviews online, affecting Malta’s reputation as a travel destination.
The PN’s energy spokesperson, Mark Anthony Sammut, criticized Prime Minister Robert Abela for attempting to shift the blame and highlighted the lack of government investment in infrastructure to meet the increased demand due to population growth.
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