The Opposition has presented a motion in Parliament expressing concern over the management of Arms Ltd, the company responsible for the billing services of Enemalta and the Water Services Corporation.

Opposition leader Joseph Muscat said that while the Prime Minister's recent apology over the shoddy service of the company was welcome, it had come too late and was not enough.

The people, he said, was very angry at what was going on.

The motion, therefore, was calling for the Auditor-General to be asked to conduct an inquiry into how the company was set up, how the top management was appointed and how the company had been unable to provide the service expected to it.

Dr Muscat said the setting up of Arms Ltd was linked to the €70 million contract for the provision of Smart Meters and the Opposition through its motion was therefore also asking the government to publish that contract and for the Auditor-General to investigate how it was awarded.

Dr Muscat noted that the Malta Communications Authority had today fined Melita €5,000 for having failed to provide it with an audit of its billing system.

One could only wonder what would have happened, Dr Muscat said, had the same been requested of Arms Ltd, given the disastrous manner how the people were being treated.

It was shameful, he said, that the people were not receiving their bills on time, bills contained mistakes, and clients were not given a proper service when they complained.

Just as shameful was the way how Arms Ltd had been unable to set up an alternative office at Valletta once the one at Freedom Square was closed down.

This, he said, was a tragi-comedy which reflected a lack of respect for consumers, something for which the government had to be held accountable for since the company was set up by political decision.

Dr Muscat said the Opposition was not blaming the workers for the state that Arms Ltd was in, since the fault rested on the members of the management and those who had appointed them.

NO PROGRESS ON PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE

Asked whether the Opposition would return to the meetings of the Parliamentary Select Committee on democratic change, Dr Muscat said no apology had been made by the government following the accusations made against Labour MP Justyne Caruana during the debate on the power station extension, and therefore there was no change on this issue.