The Government of Malta has submitted for discussion two Bills and two Draft Legal Notices with which it wants to carry out a reform in favour of sensible and responsible planning.
Therefore, the Government is opening a consultation process on these bills in which the Government is committed to bringing about the necessary reform that will bring justice to the sector through holistic changes in favour of discipline, clarity and certainty in the field of planning. The public consultation process where, among others, the general public is expected to have its say, will be screened and analysed by a working group led by the Head of Secretariat within the Office of the Prime Minister, Colonel Dr Mark Mallia.
The group will be composed of Deputy Prime Minister Ian Borg, Ministers Owen Bonnici, Clint Camilleri, Miriam Dalli and Jonathan Attard, Principal Permanent Secretary Tony Sultana and Cabinet Secretary Ryan Spagnol. The Chief Executive of the Planning Authority Johann Buttigieg is an observer in this group whose Secretary will be Dr Jessica Galea. This working group will not only screen and analyse the submissions but will also meet with key stakeholders during the open public consultation period.
Through this reform, the Government wants to continue to strengthen the rights of citizens, including by changing the appeals process whereby development is suspended until a decision is given at the appeal stage with stipulated time limits. The public consultation will also be open on two Draft Legal Notices that address the need for the country to start a new page and for those who were allowed to make mistakes in the past to pay for their actions and give compensation to the country.
From then on, a signal must be sent in favour of sensible and responsible planning that gives peace of mind and tranquility to the Maltese and Gozitans. You can participate in this public consultation until Sunday, 7 September 2025 by visiting the website consultation.gov.mt.
