ARMS gets its third chairman since April

Anthony Valvo has been asked to step down from chairman of ARMS Ltd, fewer than three months after being appointed by the new Labour government. Mr Valvo noted when contacted that his appointment on April 15 had not been on an interim basis. Asked for the reason behind the Government’s sudden change of plans, Mr Valvo said it was the result of a “strategic decision aimed to improve the company’s efficiency”. He added that the ARMS board felt it would be in the company’s interest to place it under the chairmanship of the Water Service Corporation. In fact, Mr Valvo was succeeded at ARMS by WSC chairman Tony Mejlaq at the end of last month. The decision raised questions about the future of ARMS, especially after Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi announced that the corporation “would take the lead” in its two core operations: the processing of utility bills and the €70 million smart meters project. However, according to an Energy Ministry spokeswoman, ARMS will not be closed down. She said reforms would ensure better coordination of resources and the early resolution of the serious debt collection problem. The ministry said that the billing system was being reviewed to make it more...