PN MPs this morning presented an amendment to the legal notice governing the new power station’s appeal board.

In its current proposed formation, the appeals board can only offer an appellant reimbursement for the costs incurred in the expression of interest process. This can lead to a situation where the appellant wins his appeal, but the final outcome of who the contract is awarded to will remain unchanged.

PN MPs Tonio Fenech and George Pullicino questioned why the current public procurement appeals board has been circumnavigated, and in its place a board with members handpicked by the Prime Minister will be installed.

They also asked why the energy appeals board has been granted more powers that is the norm for such boards. The board has the power to annul the whole process, and basically choose who to award the contract to.

This method raises questions, the MPs said.

PN deputy leader Mario de Marco asked why the government felt the need for a new appeals system, given that the current one is “tried and tested.”

The amendment being proposed by the Nationalist party, with the full backing of the parliamentary group, simply requests that the legal notice on the power station’s appeal board mirrors that of the current public contracts review board, Dr de Marco explained.

MP Tonio Fenech said that energy minister Konrad Mizzi has “moved the goalposts” with this energy appeals board, granting less power to the appellant.