With the objective of continually increasing standards within the construction industry, Kamra tal-Periti (KTP) President Andre Pizzuto and the Malta Developers Association (MDA) President Michael Stivala, agreed to set up the National Building Council, a joint platform to lobby the government.
“We did this because of the damage happening to the industry’s reputation and the negative opinion people have developed towards the industry in the last years,” Pizzuto said. “We create the space where people live, work, spend their free time and relax. It is a duty of all the stakeholders that what they create is of the highest quality,” he said.
Referring to the collapse of a facade and scaffolding at a construction site which narrowly missed passers-by last week, Pizzuto explained how this is exactly why such a body has become necessary. Asked to elaborate, he said: “The BCA does go on site when there are reports, but the industry will not just improve with enforcement alone. “Enforcement is a small part of what is needed. What we need are higher standards and better training,” he said. “The solution in the present and maybe even in the future is more effort on self-regulation; we need to set higher standards,” he concluded.
MDA president Michael Stivala highlighted how both organisations have worked together to lobby the government to introduce a new requirement for all new buildings in Gozo to have a limestone façade. He listed some of the new building council’s priorities: constructing more environmentally friendly buildings, improving standards to protect third parties during construction, providing more education and training for workers and making sure the quality of construction materials are up to standard. In closing, he said that the National Building Council is open to welcoming other associations in the industry.
