Enemalta opens Mosta office, regional centres being considered

Finance minister Tonio Fenech has reacted to widespread discontent with Enemalta’s billing company by announcing a new office in Blata l-Bajda for ARMS Ltd.

31 August 2010, 12:00am

1 min read

The minister was inaugurating Enemalta’s new district office in Mosta.

Automated Revenue Management Services Ltd is jointly owned by Enemalta and the Water Service Corporation to handle utility billing, but the office has been inundated with long queues and complaints of incorrect billing.

Fenech said the new Blata l-Bajda office would be opened in the next months, while other regional centres “are being considered.”

Enemalta acting chairman Edmund Gatt Baldacchion said the Mosta office would bring togther clerical and technical workers, engineers, and provide a reception area for clients. “The new office offers an environment that will increase efficiency,” Gatt Baldacchino said.

Unions have also decried daily reports of “incomeptence” at the ARMS Ltd’s customer care office. “Hundreds go to this office to have mistakes in their bills addressed. People try to get things solved by telephone but are left hours waiting without a reply. It’s shameful that in 2010, in an EU member state, so many workers have to miss out on a day’s work just to get their bills amended,” the unions said in a press statement.

Luke Camilleri •

Why not a call center where clients can get a reply to thier enquiry by phone....and get the call recorded for quality of service. This is the year 2010, Dr. Fenech where travelling is done by PRIVATE JET and not by zeppelins and we expect innovate customercare by e-mail or at least a phonecall and not having to go and queue. Our time is precious. Chew on that Dr. Fenech and don't waste our time !

Christopher Briffa •

How pathetic can the minister be! Instead of opening regional offices the Minister should make sure that ARMS issue the correct bills the first time round. There is no better way of tackling a problem than doing it right first time round. So because ARMS cannot get a simple billing system in place we open offices to deal with their inefficiencies in the mean time incurring extra rent, maintenance and running costs of the new offices. Who nows maybe there will be calls for applications to man these new offices ... ideal jobs for blue eyed boys! Who is going to pay for the extra costs? Obviously the consumer. Maybe we will need to increase the utility bills a bit further to compensate for the increase in operating costs. How pathetic!