All contracts related to energy signed by the government - including the agreements with ElectroGas Malta and Shanghai Electric - before the matter is debated in parliament, Nationalist Party deputy leader Mario de Marco said this afternoon.

The government has proposed a parliamentary debate on the issue on Wednesday, and Dr de Marco said that while the opposition agreed on holding this debate, it felt that the publication of all relevant agreements was necessary if a serious and constructive debate was to take place. He pointed out that Prime Minister Joseph Muscat had maintained that he had nothing to hide, challenging him to prove it by publishing the contracts.

Dr de Marco said that there were at least five contracts which should be published: the agreement selling 33% of Enemalta and 90% of the BWSC plant to Chinese state-owned company Shanghai Electric, the power purchase agreement with Shanghai Electric, the agreement with the ElectroGas Malta consortium on the construction of a new power station, the power purchase agreement with ElectroGas, and the seven-year business plan of the Enemalta Corporation.

The PN deputy leader said that all these contracts - and any others which might be relevant - should be published and provided to the opposition to allow them to be thoroughly examined.

The government did publish a document when the agreement with Shanghai Electric was signed, but Dr de Marco stressed that this was simply an investment agreement which left a lot of crucial details out.

He specifically flagged three crucial details which were absent in the published agreement: when Shanghai Electric is expected to make its investment, when the BWSC power station is to be converted to gas and any reference to Enemalta's workers.

These points, he added, had to be clarified if a serious parliamentary debate was to take place.

When asked, Dr de Marco reiterated that the opposition had a number of concerns over the agreement with Shanghai Electric, including the government's apparent volte-face after having claimed that it would not privatise Enemalta. He also questioned the wisdom of selling a stake in the corporation to a company which was not private, but one which was fully-owned by a foreign state.

Furthermore, the PN deputy leader pointed out, the sale took place without the issuing of an expression of interest to determine whether there was anyone else willing to acquire the BWSC plant.

Ministry reply 

In reply this evening, the Health and Energy Ministry said that after four days of silence, the Opposition - which drove Enemalta to bankruptcy and left it with a debt of €840 million has remained silent - on the biggest foreign investment our country has ever seen.

The Opposition does not want to admit that the recent agreement has not only saved the jobs of Enemalta employees but will also have a positive impact on the country's economy. The Ministry said that, contrary to what happened under the previous administration, the government showed transparency and published the Energy Sector Cooperation and Investment Agreement signed by Enemalta PLC, Shanghai Electric Power Company Ltd, SEP Malta Holding Ltd and the government.

• This government has always kept Parliament informed of all developments and this time will be no different.

• The Opposition is choosing not to understand or to ignore these facts:

• A power purchase agreement involving a number of operators in the energy generation sector is a commercial agreement.

• From the details provided so far it has already been made clear that Enemalta will not be bound to buy minimum requirements from Delimara 3.

• The government has already announced the project timelines.

• The recently passed Enemalta Act required the setting up of Engineering Resources Ltd and all employees have been transferred to this company whils retaining all their collective agreement conditions.

The only danger to Enemalta employees would have been if the corporation remained without direction. In the energy sector, the previous government had produced the highers energy and water tariffs, a total dependence on oil and a bankrupt corporation. On the contrary, this government has lowered energy tariffs, eliminated the use of Heavy Fuel Oil and put Enemalta on solid footing.