The president of the Malta Developers Association, Sandro Chetcuti, famously said that the construction industry should make as much hay as possible while the sun is shining. He was mostly referring to the fact that the sector is booming in a thriving industry, with so much construction activity taking place all over Malta as the population rises, also because of an influx of foreigners taking up jobs created here.
But there is another side to Chetcuti's statement, and this is the fact that, as things stand now, there is too much confusion in the way the sector is regulated, and this often gives developers great leeway in their plans and how they are implemented. With the Planning Authority seemingly more on their side than that of the environment, and with enforcement almost non-existent, they are having a field day.
The news that the government is working on the setting up of a new authority which aims to oversee the industry and bring it more in line with the overall needs of the country, while respecting citizens' rights much more than is happening today, is most welcome. It is often said that governments create authorities to make people believe they are doing something; in this case, the authority is badly needed.
In an interview with The Malta Independent on Sunday, Carlo Mifsud – who is seeing to the setting up of what will be known as the Malta Building and Construction Authority – explained that the idea is to pool all the government resources that are responsible for the industry under one roof.
At present, there are four entities which cater for the construction industry: the Building Industry Consultative Council, the Building Regulations Office, the Building Regulation Board and the Masons Board. They all lack resources and the overlapping of responsibilities is not an ideal situation. By centralising them the new authority will have greater legal power and become a focal point not only to the constructors, but also to the general public.
A white paper presented by the government last week goes a long way to explain the government's plans, which were drawn up after a series of meetings with all the stakeholders. Once the public consultation process is over, the conversion of the white paper into legislation is not expected to take long.
The sooner the authority will be set up the better. The general impression is that there is too much of a laissez-faire attitude, with streets blocked by machinery, digging taking place at unauthorised hours and the generation of pollution, just to mention a few issues. The citizens, particularly those living or working near construction sites, are the worse off in these circumstances.
But the white paper goes beyond these needs. It speaks of high-rise buildings and parameters that should be followed in their construction; safety measures; industry standards and enforcement. Naturally, all looks good on paper, and the intentions are clear enough – the government wants to bring the construction industry more under control, both for its own benefit and that of the public as a whole.
With the legislation in place, it will then be up to the government to appoint the right persons to run the authority, and for the authority to take the reins of the construction industry in its hands. Only then will we be able to pass judgment.
from The Malta Independent https://ift.tt/2xRk7Zc
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