The Malta Independent 10 February 2025, Monday
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Residents suffer the consequences of a government that does not plan, PN says; PL replies

Friday, 24 January 2025, 14:10 Last update: about 16 days ago

Residents have to suffer the consequences of a government that is unable to plan ahead, the Nationalist Party said Friday.

Because the Government allowed the energy situation to spiral out of control and neglected it for years, it is now trying to fix all the damage at once. This results in frustrated residents facing a large number of roads dug up simultaneously, the PN said..

This is precisely what is happening, for example, in St Paul's Bay. This morning, a press conference was addressed by the Partit Nazzjonalista's Shadow Minister for Transport Mark Anthony Sammut, Shadow Minister for Energy Ryan Callus, and St. Paul's Bay Mayor Ċensu Galea. Local PN Councillors from St Paul's Bay were also present.

During the press conference, the PN stated that works like these should be prioritised because the electricity supply needs to be strengthened to avoid the inconsistent service we have faced in the past years.

However, the fact that Enemalta has dug up around 30 roads, including main roads, all at once in the areas of St Paul's Bay, Buġibba, and Qawra, is merely confirmation that the government's lack of planning leads to significant inconvenience for residents.

Our country has reached a state where neglect of the energy distribution system, combined with an increase in population density - especially in areas like St. Paul's Bay - has caused a substantial rise in energy demand. The result has been repeated summers of power cuts that left people in heat, sweat, and darkness.

A responsible government would have foreseen these changes and planned Enemalta's works gradually to avoid the crises we have experienced. This would also minimise the inconvenience to residents and the commercial community.

The PN insisted that works must be carried out properly. While roads are being dug up for Enemalta's projects, old services, such as water and sewage systems, should be replaced as needed to avoid reopening roads in a short time.

The PN spokespersons emphasised that these works should be done efficiently and without unnecessary delays, ensuring residents are not subjected to prolonged inconvenience. They also warned against any attempt to prolong the works to make the Local Council look bad.

The PN said it also hopes that the roads being dug up now will not need to be reopened within a few months.

Among the roads to be excavated are seven that were resurfaced by Infrastructure Malta in the last six years.

If the Government had a serious and holistic plan for the country, these works would have been done when the roads were originally dug up. This would have avoided extra expenses, double inconvenience for residents, and additional days of traffic and dust caused by further works.

This is all a waste of taxpayers' money.

If the Government cannot plan a road for five years, how can it convince the public that it can plan for the next 30 years?

Past Nationalist Governments followed long-term plans based on a clear vision for the country's development, and a new Nationalist Government will do the same when it regains the people's trust.

The PN and PN-led Local Councils remain committed to working for the people, first and foremost, the PN said.

The PN has no interest in a better electricity distribution system - PL

The PN called the press today to dish out "false information" when its own speakers know the real facts, as does its PN St Paul's Bay mayor, who was kept informed on this matter," the Labour Party said.

"In St Paul's Bay, apart from strengthening the electricity distribution system, the government is also installing a new drainage system with a €6.4 million investment. The Labour Government shall continue to work for the benefit of families and businesses."

The PN shall always be remembered for lack of proposals and fake news, the PL said. 

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