The Nationalist Party has expressed its concern on the government’s decision to suspend the Solar Energy Grant Scheme after what it described as “technical problems”.

The scheme is administered by EU funds and offers businesses an opportunity to invest in efficient and clean energy generation systems.

The statement was issued in the name of deputy leader for Parliamentary Affairs Mario de Marco, also spokesperson for the Economy, Investment and SMEs, and Antoine Borg, spokesperson for EU Presidency 2017 and EU funds.

In light of the immediate suspension of the scheme and the €5.5 million contracted linked with it, the PN said the government is duty bound to explain what led to this suspension and how the decision on which commercial operators were eligible to participate, was taken.

It also asked whether there were any complaints on the way the selection process was carried out and whether the allocated EU funds can be lost.

For the sake of transparency and accountability, the ministry responsible for European Affairs should publish the technical details that led to the scheme’s suspension.

Such a scheme is crucial for businesses to invest and be competitive, more so at a time when the economy needs stimulus. 

But in a statement which invoked right of reply, a spokesman for the Parliamentary Secretariat for EU Funding accused the PN of intentionally misguiding the public on the way EU funds were utilised.

He also said that the party conveniently overlooked its own official statement on these funds when Malta Enterprise announced that the scheme would be suspended.

The spokesman recalled that back then, the parliamentary secretariat had explained that no EU funding would be lost as the funds tied to the scheme would be allocated to other initiatives.

He added that the parliamentary secretariat is also doing its utmost to ensure that €200 million in unspent EU funds would not be lost, pointing out that this risk was inherited by the previous government, of which Dr de Marco was a prominent member.