Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1547077
6 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 27 MARCH 2022 OPINION 2 maltatoday EXECUTIVE EDITOR KURT SANSONE ksansone@mediatoday.com.mt Letters to the Editor, MaltaToday, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 E-mail: dailynews@mediatoday.com.mt Letters must be concise, no pen names accepted, include full name and address maltatoday | SUNDAY • 11 OCTOBER 2026 When patience starts to vanish Editorial ENEMALTA'S explanation for the widespread power cut last week was that it was caused by hu- man error, while work was being carried out at En- emalta's facility in Magħtab. The error destabilised the grid and automatically triggered the safety mechanism that shuts off parts of the network to safeguard the infrastructure from unnecessary damage. Enemalta said the regassifica- tion plant at Delimara was also shut down as a result of the automatic system, causing a sudden drop in electricity supply. As a result, large parts of Malta and almost all of Gozo ended up without power just after 8am. The outage lasted a some four hours at most in some lo- calities and yet it still caused disruption to daily life. Human errors happen and sometimes are una- voidable. But when Malta experiences a significant power outage like last week's hot on the heels of two similar, relatively short-lived, interruptions, that in turn came after massive electricity outages in the hot summer months, patience starts to vanish and every explanation starts to feel hollow. In a country with Europe's fastest growing econo- my it is not unreasonable to expect a stable, uninter- rupted electricity supply throughout the year. The country should not have to worry whether electricity is available when the light switch is flipped on, the office computer is started, the industrial machine is producing, the server is connected and the confer- ence room air conditioning is switched on before the guests arrive. Whether the disruptions are the result of human er- ror, a power station that tripped, or antiquated distri- bution cables that are giving up under the strain, it is pretty obvious that this country requires much more investment in its energy infrastructure. During his pre-budget document presentation, Fi- nance Minister Clyde Caruana said that government will be complementing the massive outlay on energy subsidies to keep consumer prices stable with a €75 million allocation to Enemalta for network improve- ments. Whether the amount indicated by Caruana is enough to replace the aged parts of the distribution system, while adding new capacity and flexibility to the network, remains to be seen. Engineers and tech- nicians at Enemalta argue in private that the sum would not suffice to cover the required investment. Enemalta has an action plan to strengthen the distribution network through various investments. However, the serious disruptions experienced this summer suggest that Enemalta is still way off its mark from achieving the reliability a modern coun- try desires. This is more so in Gozo where it is on- ly now that a much-needed 132kV submarine cable connecting the island to Malta is being considered. Gozo needed that cable yesterday before construc- tion started booming. In a parliamentary reply last July, Energy Minister Miriam Dalli said Enemalta invested €140 million in the electricity distribution network between 2023 and 2025. However, she did not specify how the money was spent despite the parliamentary question by Op- position MP Mark Anthony Sammut asking her for a breakdown. The minister needs to be more transpar- ent than that in outlining the challenges ahead, how they are being tackled, and where the money is being spent. But this is an issue that transcends the Energy Min- istry. This is a whole-of-government issue. Is Ene- malta privy of the impending tourist projects and the load they will place on its infrastructure? Is there a contingency plan to mitigate demand at peak sum- mer times and at the height of heatwaves? Is there any coordination with Infrastructure Malta to ensure roads are resurfaced appropriately whenever they are ripped up to repair faults or lay new electricity cables? Is there adequate monitoring of solar panel installations on households to ensure the electricity fed into the grid does not destabilise localised net- works? Is there a concerted effort to sensitise people not to waste electricity? Are there schemes that are adequately funded and reliable to encourage house- holds to adopt energy-saving measures and shift to energy-efficient appliances? Within all areas of gov- ernment is enough being done to ensure workplaces are energy-efficient? These are only some of the questions that require clear answers from Dalli and her Cabinet colleagues. But then there is also another aspect, which keeps being overlooked. Is the energy regulator doing its job properly to oversee the sector and protect con- sumers? The answer to this is a clear no. Indeed, the regulator is good as a fish out of water. In a monopolistic environment, the regulator should be extra vigilant to protect consumers from abusive behaviour. The regulator must demand an- swers from Enemalta whenever there is an outage of significant proportions. And compensation to customers for power outages and inadequate supply must not depend on the goodwill of the minister or the company. Compensation must be automatic, ac- cording to a structure laid down by the regulator that also includes penalties if Enemalta fails to comply. After all, we are supposed to be living in a modern European country, where electricity is not a privilege but a daily necessity. MaltaToday 10 years ago CapitalOne's €5.3 million deposits were police's smoking 12 October 2016 OVER €5.3 million in deposits were made over four years into the Capitalone Investment Group bank account from mainly Cypriot and Greek companies, that were later disbursed in- to other Cypriot companies. The Bank of Valletta transactions were ef- fected following faxed instructions from Bal- timore Fiduciary Services' director Richard Abdilla Castillo. The transactions were handed over by Bank of Valletta when it was notified on 28 December 2012 that the Maltese police was pursuing "an ongoing money laundering in- vestigation". In its request the police requested a survey of all transactions on the accounts of Capi- talOne Investment Group, which in turn re- vealed the slew of deposits, withdrawals and faxed banking instructions from Richard Ab- dilla Castillo, one of the co-directors of Bal- timore Fiduciary Services. Baltimore Fiduciary was then the owner of CapitalOne's entire shareholding, acting as a nominee company to hide CapitalOne's ulti- mate beneficial owner. Dutch police had alerted the Maltese of sus- picions of alleged drug trafficking when it ar- rested Robert Soogea and Henrique Cumber- batch in November 2012, requesting a freeze on his Malta holdings. These included his interests in CapitalOne Investment Group. [...] After all, we are supposed to be living in a modern European country, where electricity is not a privilege but a daily necessity.