Updated 4.15pm
Malta’s yearly budget allocation to the energy distribution network will double to €30 million, Prime Minister Robert Abela promised social partners on Friday.
The government had previously allocated a yearly budget of €15 million a year for six years.
Works on the distribution system to combat the effects of climate change will also be accelerated, Abela said.
The announcement comes after Malta was plagued by power cuts for 11 days, most of which happened during a heatwave that saw temperatures climbing above 40°C.
Abela was addressing social partners in his introductory remarks of an urgent meeting of the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development.
The MCESD brings together representatives from the government, key sectoral interest groups and leading trade unions.
The meeting, which came to an end around 4pm, discussed plans for a compensation scheme for those affected by the power cuts, and the way forward to avoid a repeat. Social partners and the government also discussed the effects of climate change and sustainability.
The meeting came after the Malta Chamber called for an urgent meeting on the issue saying it was very worried about the country's current situation.
The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association said the ongoing power cuts, shabbiness across the country, congested roads and ongoing construction works are seriously impacting the future of tourism.
The Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises, also expressed their frustration saying that the power cuts gravely affected small businesses.
During the introductory speech, for which members of the media were invited, Abela said the head of the civil service Tony Sultana will be drawing up a protocol to cater for those days when the country faces extreme weather events.
Abela also announced the government plans to set up a new authority focused on climate change after passing a bill through parliament.
The authority will be focusing on monitoring the impact of climate change in Malta and coordinating concrete actions to mitigate and adapt to its effects.
At the end of the meeting, Energy Minister Miriam Dalli said the issue of compensation for the power cuts will be discussed with the stakeholders in the coming weeks but gave no further details.
Asked about the Nationalist Party's calls for Malta’s power distribution sector to be opened up to private companies, Dalli said the PN was making a U-turn on the matter.
Finance Minister Clyde Caruana and Parliamentary Secretary Andy Ellul were also present for the meeting.