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2 NEWS 29.9.2022 During the first half of 2022, the Maltese economy grew by 8.5 per cent in real terms over the corresponding period of last year. Growth in the first half of 2022 was relatively balanced, driven by domestic demand, contributing 4.9 percentage points, and net exports, which contributed 3.9 percentage points. In nominal terms, total income grew by 13.3 per cent, mainly reflecting a 15.9 per cent (or €527.9 million) growth in gross operating surplus, 8.0 per cent (or €258.9 million) increase in compensation of employees, and 33.7 per cent (or €142.8 million) growth in taxes less subsidies on production and imports. economy Revisions to electricity bills calculation method expected in coming days PAUL COCKS REVISIONS to the way electrici- ty bills are worked out by national utility company ARMS will be an- nounced in the coming days, en- ergy minister Miriam Dalli said on Wednesday. Dalli said that extensive work had been carried out over the past few months covering technical and legal aspects in order to address 'a legal anomaly' in the way ARMS com- putes water and electricity bills. "We have worked on this for months as there was need for a radical change both involving the law and in the technical aspect," she said. "We have now concluded this work and will be announcing the new system for Maltese and Gozitan residents and families in the coming days." In a landmark decision in July, the court declared that the method used by ARMS to bill consumers for their electricity consumption was not only incorrect, but illegal. Judge Anna Felice was presiding the First Hall of the Civil Court, de- ciding a case filed by two consumers against ARMS in 2017. e plaintiffs had taken ARMS to court, claiming that the bills as cal- culated and issued by the company were "disloyal and misleading" after they noticed that between Septem- ber 2016 and September 2017 they had been billed on a pro-rata annual basis. e legal notice regulating elec- tricity supply, however, explicit- ly stipulates that while residential buildings were to be billed on the annual cumulative consumption, which could be calculated on a pro-rata basis, that calculation had to reflect the actual amount con- sumed during that year. Dalli said on Wednesday that the government was implementing the revisions even though Malta – like other countries – was facing chal- lenges as a result of the Russian in- vasion of Ukraine. "Despite these challenges, we are ensuring that the people will be helped through unprecedented as- sistance, even because this in an ex- ceptional circumstance than no one was expecting," she said. In a press statement issued in the wake of the judgement, the PN spokesman for Energy and Enter- prise, Mark Anthony Sammut said that the PN's long-held claim that ARMS' billing process, introduced in 2014, was illegal had been borne out by the judgement. "is confirms that the excuse used by the government, that this billing system was a result of a Legal Notice introduced by a PN government in 2009 is simply a lie. e court clear- ly declared that the method used by the Labour government in 2014 is in breach of that Legal Notice and not a result of following it." e PN maintained its position that the annual adjustment should apply to everyone and that every affected consumer be refunded, not just those who filed court proceed- ings to recover overpaid amounts. In a statement, the Energy Ministry said it was going to be analysing the court's decision. "What was prom- ised in this year's budget should in no way prejudice any action that may still be taken," it warned. Reducing electricity use Dalli said that in an upcoming meeting of the Energy Council, the government will be informing its European partners that Malta does not agree with a mandatory reduc- tion in the use of electricity. e European Commission is pro- posing enforced reduction of elec- tricity use in peak times. But Dalli said that Malta cannot do this, as unlike other countries, since it is not 'highly electrified'. Energy minister Miriam Dalli pictured talking to Italian minister for ecological transition Roberto Cingolani at a meeting of EU energy ministers Energy minister Miriam Dalli says revision to ARMS bills computation will address 'anomaly' introduced in 2009 • Malta to tell European partners it is against a mandatory reduction in electricity usage Ponte stops Sicily operations for winter after delays PONTE Ferries announced that it will pause its operations for the winter by tomorrow. e company made the announcement in a statement on Wednesday afternoon, but no rea- son for the suspension of service was given. Ponte's ferry service suffered several delays in the past weeks, with one voyage last week can- celled by the company after an hour-long delay. e fast ferry service to Sicily started running in summer 2021, offering commuters and hauli- ers a link between Valletta and Augusta. Ponte Ferries is a joint venture between lead- ing agro-processing compant Magro Brothers, hoteliers Julian and Michael Zammit Tabona, and Ozo CEO Fabio Muscat. It provided the first ever competitive alternative to Virtu Ferries on the Malta-Sicily route. Ponte Ferries had a bumpy start to its opera- tions in 2021. e service was due to launch on 8 August that year, but the company had to post- pone operations at the eleventh hour over a bid by Virtù, which connects Pozzallo to Valletta, to also obtain a departure slot from the port. Augusta mayor Di Mare and councillor Tania Patania had complained that the port authority ADSP was preventing Augusta from having its own maritime connection to Maltese tourism. Eventually, Ponte Ferries secured a temporary permit from Italian authorities. e service started running in November 2021, operating between Wine Wharf quay in Valletta and Au- gusta five times a week. No reason given for suspension of service in brief company announcement

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