Favourable billing scheme deemed 'discriminatory'

The Malta Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises - GRTU would like the favourable billing scheme to be extended to all enterprises irrespective of the sector they operate in.

In a letter to the director general at the Office for Fair Competition, Marcel Pizzuto, the GRTU said the scheme should not only be reserved for enterprises in the licensed accommodation sector. "Enemalta is implementing a highly discriminatory preferential billing scheme applicable only to enterprises in the licensed accommodation sector. Through this scheme, hotel and tourist complexes are enjoying the advantage of a capping on electricity and water consumption billing, which will be subjected to the 17 per cent surcharge on water and electricity charges," the GRTU said.

The organisation's director general, Vince Farrugia, said the decision by Enemalta and the Water Services Corporation was "discriminatory" and was a unilateral one taken only on grounds of the monopoly position which both corporations enjoyed. He requested the OFC to investigate and direct remedial action with a view of ensuring that this discrimination was removed.