Enemalta’s Compliance Unit was not disbanded but transferred to ARMS Ltd to monitor bill payments and credit on the corporation’s behalf, former finance minister Tonio Fenech has insisted.

He was reacting to Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi’s claims last week that the previous Nationalist administration had closed the unit, resulting in a spike in electricity theft.

Mr Fenech said when questioned that the unit to which Dr Mizzi referred was called the Credit Control Section, which was transferred to ARMS Ltd when the previous government was moving all functions related to bill processing, credit control and similar responsibilities.

He insisted the responsibility of this section was never monitoring meter activity – a function tasked to ARMS Ltd during the smart meters’ installation phase ­­– but ensuring pending bills were paid by large commercial establishments.

But when contacted, Dr Mizzi insisted that Mr Fenech should check his facts.

“On a weekly basis, compliance officers within the Compliance Unit used to carry out inspections to identify cases of theft.

“The main reason for disbanding the section given by Enemalta to the staff and the union was because of technological innovation,” Dr Mizzi said.

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