Reports that the government will hand over a substantial proportion of energy production and distribution in private hands goes contrary to public interest. Zminijietna maintains that since energy is of national and social importance, the state should keep control of both production and distribution.

On the other hand, we consider positive the foreign investment in the production of solar panels in Malta. Zminijietna augurs that such investment will boost the government’s aim to set a national policy towards the production of renewable energy and to the creation of green jobs. With regards to part-privatisation of Enemalta, Zminijietna does not agree in principle with that policy.  
Zminijietna added that “the government should not repeat the same mistake made by the previous administration, that of privatising essential commodities. The privatisation of domestic gas resulted in the loss of sovereignty and government’s control over this resource. This neoliberal policy was also detrimental to the low and middle income earners”.

Zminijietna reiterates that any future investment in the energy sector should be public. The state should retain the administrative control of this resource. Neo liberal policies in the energy sector will lead to substantially higher prices, increase in social inequality and the administrative loss of control over this resource.

Richard Mifsud

Zminijietna