Labour MP and former Enemalta chairman Charles Mangion stressed this morning that Enemalta would remain solely responsible for the distribution of electricity in Malta and Gozo.

Speaking in Parliament, he said this eliminated concerns from some quarters that the government was losing control over the electricity sector in Malta.

He said Enemalta would remain responsible for ensuring that consumers had a secure supply of electricity even when generation facilities came from various sources, including the new gas power station, the BWSC plant, which will be managed by Shanghai Electric, and the interconnector cable.

The whole sector would also continue to be overseen by the Resources Authority to ensure that standards were maintained, along with requirements to guarantee, for example, security of supply. The MRA would also continue to approve power tariffs.

Dr Mangion was speaking during debate on a bill to transform Enemalta Corporation into a plc, ahead of investment in it by Shanghai Power Electric. The debate started yesterday.

ENEMALTA plc ALREADY SET UP

Nationalist MP Ryan Callus said that while Parliament was being asked to approve the transformation of Enemalta Corporation to Enemalta plc, the new company had already been set up and registered at the MFSA. This, he said, was disrespectful for the whole House. Enemalta plc, he said, was registered two weeks ago.

Interjecting, Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi said that was a shell company set up in terms of the Enemalta Act as an acquiring company to which the assets and liabilities of the corporation would be transferred.

Continuing, Mr Callus criticised the way how the government had committed itself to buy electricity from Electrogas for 18 years and said a future PN government would still seek to buy electricity from the cheapest available sources. Electrogas is the company which will build and run the new gas power station.