Yesterday The Times ran with a story about Konrad Mizzi going ‘missing’. So far we still don’t know what happened to the minister but it is curious this happened on the evening Dr Mizzi was supposed to give answers to a few heated questions.

Last Sunday’s story by The Sunday Times of Malta revealed some worrying information. Information the public has every right to know as it is their tax euros that are involved.  Then on Tuesday, in an attempt at transparency, the ministry released a press release trying to explain the reasons behind the €88m state guarantee for the power station loan. In so doing, the ministry revealed details about an even more worrying affair - the security of supply agreement.

With the national interest on the line - and I’m talking about the real national interest, not the one mentioned in the code of ethics - Konrad Mizzi needs to be found and found fast so that he can put our minds at rest about certain issues.

It’s been more than a year-and-a-half since signing and the government still refuses to publish the Electrogas contract. In May last year, Joseph Muscat said there was nothing to hide in the contract but here we are, a year later and no contract was submitted for public scrutiny. Instead, trickling pieces of news are published, and the more is revealed about the gas supply and power purchase agreement the more questions pile up.

Here are just a few of the questions I’d love to ask Konrad Mizzi as soon as he turns up;

1) First and foremost, why the delay in publishing the contract and other agreements such as the security of supply agreement? Doesn't the public have a right to know the contents of a contract spanning the next 20 years?

2) If the security of supply agreement truly was an integral part of the tender process (as stated in the PR) why wasn’t it presented to the European Commission to be scrutinised and checked if it amounts to state aid when the tender process started, more than two years ago?

3) If it is true the Electrogas managed to secure financing for this project, why did they need the government to step in with a state guarantee for a loan covering almost a third of the project’s costs?

4) Once again, if Electrogas really does have no cash flow issues how come they haven’t yet paid Enemalta the €30 million promised at the start of the contract signing for the use of land?

5) According to state aid regulations Electrogas will need to pay the government a fee for the risk it is taking in giving the state guarantee. Is this fee sufficient to compensate for the said risk?

6) Does the minister still think it was a good idea to tie Malta’s hands for the next 20 years, and tie them with the ropes of a government like that of Azerbaijan?

7) Finally, and this is a curious one, how does Dr Mizzi justify the decrease in electricity tariffs if not by using investments such as the BWSC plant and the Interconnector?

 

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