The deal the Government struck with China for the privatisation of Enemalta would see the country losing its independence in energy generation, Opposition leader Simon Busuttil said yesterday.
Linking it to the Independence Day celebrations this week, Dr Busuttil said this and various other decisions were endangering Malta’s independence and that of its institutions.
“The country’s institutions are under attack from the Labour Party in government. The agreement with China signed earlier [last] week undermines Malta’s independence in energy generation.
“I am not comfortable with the idea of having China in full control of my electricity switch at home,” he said.
Speaking during an interview on the Nationalist Party’s radio station, Dr Busuttil said the Opposition had many questions to ask on the deal, wondering whether it would also mean that Malta would lose control over families’ energy bills.
He said the Government had betrayed Enemalta employees as, prior to the election, it promised not to privatise the firm.
“The Government has no mandate to privatise Enemalta because it specifically ruled this out in its electoral manifesto. Why is the General Workers’ Union in favour of this instead of sticking up for workers? That’s the result of a trade union in bed with a political party.”
Instead, the Government had agreed to the privatisation of up to 75 per cent of the company.
“With half the company going to the foreign investor who is building the new power station and possibly half the remainder being handed over to China, Malta has become Enemalta’s minority shareholder,” he said.
He complained that Prime Minister Joseph Muscat had not told him about the deal but instead called GWU general secretary Tony Zarb to tell him about it.
“I would have expected to be informed, especially since Parliament is in its summer recess,” he said.
He asked what would Malta’s stand be in Europe, which recently had a hot issue with China over the manufacture of solar panels and which was why the deal with Malta was so important for China as it would be able to penetrate the European market.
Turning to issues affecting the health sector, Dr Busuttil said the alarming situation with out-of-stock medicines showed that Labour was able to win the election but not to govern.
On the shortage of nurses, Dr Busuttil questioned why the Government had to wait for instructions from the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses to immediately employ 140 nurses who graduated almost two months ago.
Asked about the Marsascala Family Park, Dr Busuttil said that, here again, the Government had failed in its judgement because emissions from the nearby recycling plant were below acceptable levels.
There was never any hazard, he said, insisting that the park should be re-opened immediately.