ARMS negotiating €2.5 million payment terms

Utility billing company ARMS Ltd is negotiating payment plans with both the Nationalist and Labour parties, which have amassed a staggering total of unpaid bills to the value of €2.5 million.

Last Sunday, MaltaToday revealed that the Nationalist Party has energy and water bills running up to €1.9 million, while Labour owes €600,000.

“ARMS Ltd is treating political parties in the same way as other clients and negotiating payment plans for the parties to pay their dues,” a spokesperson for the Ministry of Energy told MaltaToday.

Alternattiva Demokratika has since accused ARMS Ltd, a state company, of giving preferential treatment to the parties.

“While the public is expected to pay its water and electricity bills in time or incur penalties or even disconnection, both leading political parties seem to have enjoyed particular privileges,” AD’s spokesperson for energy Ralph Cassar, said.

Both Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Opposition leader Simon Busuttil insist that the parties are not being treated any differently from regular consumers.

“Political parties must pay their water and electricity bills just like everyone else,” Muscat said earlier this week. “Steps had already been taken during the past legislature and ARMS Ltd is proceeding on those steps.”

Busuttil refused to confirm his party has up to €1.9 million in unpaid bills, due to “commercial and financial information”.

Both MaltaToday and the Times of Malta have filed freedom of information requests on the subjects. MaltaToday’s request is currently at the appeals stage after ARMS refused to disclose information on the monies owed by the political parties to Enemalta and the Water Services Corporation.

The request was originally turned down by the Information and Data Protection Commissioner.