Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/219723
7 News maltatoday, SUNDAY, 1 DECEMBER 2013 Expats finally get equal treatment on utility bills EU residents' plight heard: no discriminatory pricing on energy and water tariffs for foreign EU nationals living in Malta MIRIAM DALLI ENERGY minister Konrad Mizzi and utility billing company ARMS Ltd have finally given foreign EU residents in Malta equal treatment after years of facing discriminately higher tariffs, because ARMS specifically did not recognise their equal status. A meeting on Friday between Mizzi, ARMS chief executive James Davies and Patricia Graham, the spokesperson for the ARMS class action group, finally brought to an end years of complaints on unequal treatment at the hands of the billing company. This means there will be no longer any differentiation in tariffs between Maltese nationals and other EU nationals resident in Malta. The meeting came about as a result of ongoing efforts by the class action group to end the two-tier, higher domestic tariff that many EU nationals, were subjected to. EU residents in Malta are charged higher rates because their Maltese residency was not accepted by ARMS, the government's utility billing arm, on the basis of their identity card. The discriminatory pricing inflicted on EU nationals a 35% higher tariff for electricity and 60% more for water. According to Graham, Davies said ARMS Ltd would be accepting and processing the new e-residence cards and the 'A' identity card for foreign nationals, in order to secure services for water and electricity. The positive news overturns a recent policy adopted by ARMS not to accept the e-residence card, due its expiry date. "This is not over. There is still much to do. The two-tier tariff is illegal under EU law. We may have room to celebrate this small step and many will benefit from the decisions taken last night, but we must fight on until the domestic rate is abolished," Graham said. When applying for utilities services, Maltese nationals are only required to show their 'M' identity card – the standard nomenclature for Maltese nationals. On the other hand, non-Maltese nationals are issued with an aliens' identity card, dubbed 'A' ID card, which carries an expiry date, as well as the eresidence card for foreign EU nationals. ARMS was not accepting either of the two cards because of the expiry date. "To ensure equality, a decision has now been taken for ARMS to accept the 'A' ID card or the new e-residence card," Graham said. Children not in possession of the ID card would have to present birth certificates, which are already required for the new e-residence card. These would be necessary to update the list of residents in a household. "The downside, and efforts will continue in this area, is that this decision will not help those tenants who are billed directly by their landlord and those whose landlords refuse to either register tenants or place the bills in the name of the tenant," Graham said. "It is up to us and the group to push forward with our goals to inform and educate anyone consider- INCLUSION ACCESSIBILTY PARTICIPATION National Conference International Day of Persons with Disability Kummissjoni Nazzjonali Persuni b'Diżabilità invites you to a conference that will discuss the initial findings from research carried out on the current situation of disabled persons in Malta. This study can help to design strategies that may enable disabled persons to benefit from support, contribute to society, and lead a fulfilled life. Date: Tuesday, 3rd December, 2013 Time: 08:30 - 12:30 Venue: New Dolmen Hotel, Qawra For more information on the Conference, and on the Disability Week, visit KNPD's website www.knpd.org, e-mail Bernard Busuttil on helpdesk@knpd.org or phone 22788555. This event is being supported by the Employment and Social Solidarity Programme - PROGRESS (2007-2013) of the European Union. For more information: http//ec.europa.eu/progress ing renting a property in Malta." Graham said that questions must be asked before signing a lease, including whether the landlord would agree to register the tenants. According to documents tabled in parliament by the energy ministry, the consumption charge on 'domestic accounts' – as opposed to the 'residential' accounts for Maltese consumers – amounted to €27 million in 2010, rising to €33.4 million in 2012. Service charges amounted to €6.2 million and €7.2 million respectively. The expats' endless struggle to start paying residential utility rates, rather than domestic rates, started off with a past decision that the EU residents had to obtain a new ID eresidence card. The ARMS class action group had long been complaining of discrimination imposed on EU citizens residing in Malta, particularly when it came to the significantly higher utility bills and bus fares than those charged to the Maltese. The expats had also filed a judicial protest against Enemalta and ARMS Ltd, arguing that they were being treated as non-residents. They argued that the two entities were in breach of the European Commission Directive on the free movement of EU citizens. mdalli@mediatoday.com.mt Denied bail on suspicion of fraud, money laundering ITALIAN national Giovanni Calcaterra, 41, was yesterday arrested for his suspected part in the promotion and organisation of financed criminal acts including fraud, the falsification of documents and money laundering. The accused pleaded not guilty to the claims. Prosecution inspector Ian Joseph Abdilla said that for the past months and years Calcaterra was part of a criminal conspiracy in Malta and in other countries, both on a personal level and as an official of the company Pepe Import Export. Abdilla said that due to the "grievousness of the acts" the accused should not be allowed to leave the country whilst the investigation was still being carried out. Calcaterra's defence argued that since the investigation had only just begun and because Calcaterra's hometown of Ragusa was only two and a half hours away from the island, the accused should be allowed to return to Sicily. His lawyer said that the court was in possession of the accused's home address, meaning there was very little Calcaterra could do if allowed to go back to his country. The court denied the request for bail. Marsascala man stabbed A 43-year-old man from Marsas- cala was yesterday morning injured after a hawker allegedly knifed him in the back. Preliminary investigations suggest that the man was injured after an argument broke out between the two hawkers, one of whom was the victim. The aggressor fled the scene. The victim was hospitalised at Mater Dei Hospital. His condition is not yet known. Members of the Rapid Intervention Unit and the Valletta Police station are investigating.