The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry has called on the government to publish a long-term investment plan for the country's electricity distribution network, warning that recurring power cuts are disrupting businesses and exposing shortcomings in infrastructure planning.

In a statement, the Chamber said the recent outages across Malta and Gozo were predictable given continued population growth, rising tourist numbers and higher temperatures linked to climate change.

It argued that while increased electricity demand inevitably places greater strain on the grid, infrastructure upgrades and forward planning had failed to keep pace.

The Chamber said it had repeatedly warned that investment in the electricity network should account for future demand rather than current needs alone.

According to the organisation, the repeated disruptions are affecting economic activity, daily operations and quality of life, while reducing confidence in the country's infrastructure.

It said the outages were leading to frustration, inefficiencies, lost productivity and growing uncertainty for businesses.

The Chamber argued that investment carried out to date had not been sufficient and called on the government to publish the total level of investment required to permanently resolve the problem, together with a realistic implementation plan and clear milestones.

It also linked pressure on the electricity network to Malta's current economic growth model, arguing that a model reliant on low value-added growth and a growing low-skilled workforce had reached its physical limits.

The Chamber reiterated its call for an economic strategy focused on improving productivity rather than continued expansion.

It also stressed that energy security should not be limited to increasing electricity generation, saying greater emphasis should be placed on energy efficiency and measures encouraging consumers to use electricity more responsibly.

The Chamber said addressing the issue was essential to safeguard economic resilience, maintain competitiveness and protect residents' quality of life.

It added that discussions about the Malta Vision 2050 strategy would lack credibility if the country could not guarantee a reliable electricity supply today.