The promulgation of alternative energy facilities locally is being stifled by excessive bureaucratic hurdles. The proposed dissemination of 1,000 free solar power water heaters at the next International Fair at MFCC by a local distributor is a case in point.

The same distributor was ready to distribute for free such solar heaters through a lottery to be drawn at the same fair (with 100 heaters being drawn every day) but the proposal floundered due to a condition imposed by the Malta Resources Authority (MRA) that such a dissemination had to be accompanied by the issuing of VAT fiscal receipts.

Since the 1,000 solar heaters were to be distributed for free, the distributor could not issue such a fiscal receipt and hence the laudable initiative could not go ahead.

Of the 4,500 individuals who were eligible to apply for a solar power water heater subsidy, only 1500 had availed themselves of such a subsidy by purchasing a solar power water heater.

Hence, the distributor was proposing that he is refunded such a subsidy for the 1000 heaters he is offering so that those who win the heater need to pay only for its installation.

The MRRA (Ministry for Resources and Rural Affairs) was seeking to resolve such an issue so that 1,000 solar power water heaters could be introduced into local households in the short term and thus help reduce local electricity demand.

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