Kamra tal-Periti calls for extraordinary general meeting

The Council of the Kamra tal-Periti has called an extraordinary general meeting to be held on Friday 21 June 2019 to discuss the state of the Maltese construction industry, according to a press statement the Maltese chamber for architects sent to Business Malta. This comes after the walls of three buildings collapsed in the past two months in Malta near construction sites, forcing the government to temporarily halt demolition and excavation works.

“The purpose of the meeting is to update its members on the developments that have occurred over the past few weeks, the progress made on its public consultation document A Modern Building and Construction Regulation Framework for Malta following its publication in May, closing talks held over recent months with government about the updated Periti Act, and to consult on the draft regulations to be published on Monday by government following the temporary suspension of demolition and excavation works,” the press statement says.

At the same time, the Kamra tal-Periti says it is in talks with various industry stakeholders about its reform proposals. The consultation meeting with the Malta Developers Association (MDA) originally scheduled for the end of the month has been moved to an earlier date of 18 June. “The Kamra tal-Periti and the MDA have reached an understanding that in this critical juncture for the industry, it is important to converge towards a common position for the good of the country. Further meetings are also scheduled to take place with the Chamber of Engineers, the Chamber of Commerce, and the BICC,” the press statement says.

The Kamra tal-Periti tags these times as a “crucial moment” for the industry, urging players to come together and seek convergence, while the “the Kamra will continue to take a leading role in ensuring that this takes place”.

In the light of the happenings of the past few weeks, the Kamra says that “the issues we are facing are complex, and the fast pace of the industry is stretching resources beyond capacity, yet none of this justifies the relaxation of standards and lack of diligence,” according to a press statement.

Malta’s Prime Minister Joseph Muscat announced on 13 June that all excavation and demolition works must stop until new construction site regulations come into force by the end of the month. Fines for those ignoring the halt are expected to jump from €2,000 to €50,000. This comes after the walls of standing buildings collapsed nearby construction sites during excavation and demolition works.