Malta Chamber Slams Power Cuts, Says Grid Failures Were ‘Entirely Predictable’
The Malta Chamber of Commerce has issued a scathing statement over the latest wave of power cuts, arguing that the strain on Malta’s electricity grid was entirely foreseeable and warning…
The Malta Chamber of Commerce has issued a scathing statement over the latest wave of power cuts, arguing that the strain on Malta’s electricity grid was entirely foreseeable and warning that years of investment have failed to keep pace with demand.
The Chamber said the recent outages have disrupted businesses, daily life and the wider economy, pointing to Malta’s growing population, record tourism numbers and increasingly intense summer heat as predictable factors that should have been accounted for.
“It is evident that the investment carried out was not enough,” the organisation said, calling on the government to publish a clear long-term plan outlining how much investment is still needed to permanently solve the country’s electricity distribution problems.
The Chamber warned that repeated blackouts are causing lost productivity, operational uncertainty and declining confidence in Malta’s infrastructure, with businesses bearing the brunt of the disruption.
It also argued that Malta’s energy challenges are closely linked to the country’s current economic growth model, saying the reliance on low-value-added industries requiring large numbers of workers has pushed the country’s infrastructure to its physical limits.
Instead, it renewed its call for Malta to focus on boosting productivity and creating a more sustainable economy.
Beyond expanding electricity generation, the Chamber stressed that Malta also needs to improve energy efficiency, saying the current system does little to encourage consumers to use electricity more responsibly.
Ending its statement with a stark warning, the Chamber said Malta cannot seriously speak about its Vision 2050 ambitions while still struggling to guarantee a reliable electricity supply.
“If we cannot guarantee a reliable electricity supply today, any discussion about the Malta of 2050 risks becoming little more than an exercise in rhetoric,” it said.
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