The Water Services Corporation, including ARMS Ltd, was the subject of the most complaints to the Ombudsman out of all public authorities in 2012.

Cases concerning this corporation amounted to 44, an increase of 19 per cent from 2011.

The much-maligned ARMS Ltd falls under Enemalta and the Water Services Corporation, and manages the customer care and billing functions of both corporations.

The statistics were revealed in the Office of the Ombudsman’s Annual Report 2012, which was presented by Ombudsman Joseph Said Pullicino to Speaker Anġlu Farrugia.

Following ARMS, social security was the target of the next biggest number of complaints to the Ombudsman with 33 cases, a considerable increase of 65 per cent from 2011.

Third on the list were education-related grievances, with 31 cases, an increase of 24 per cent.

The Office of the Ombudsman received 29 cases concerning Transport Malta in 2012, a decrease of 23 per cent from the previous year.

Social security was the target of the next biggest number of complaints to the Ombudsman

Transport Malta topped the list in 2011 and 2010.

Local councils placed in fifth position with 28 cases, an increase of 55 per cent from the previous year.

In total, the Office of the Ombudsman received 443 written complaints during 2012, which was a marginal increase of four per cent from 2011.

Although there was a marginal increase in grievances reported to the Office between 2011 and 2012, a downward trend has been experienced since the mid-1990s.

This can be mainly attributed to the decrease in recent years in the range of public authorities that fall under the jurisdiction of the Ombudsman due to privatisation and policies, such as outsourcing and public private partnership, the Office said.

Copies of the Annual Report 2012 and Case Notes 2012 are available from the Office of the Ombudsman and online on www.ombudsman.org.mt.