The Minister for Public Works and Planning Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi inaugurated the offices of the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), in Marsa.
During his speech, Minister Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi gave an account of the reforms that have taken place or are taking place in the construction sector including the regulations on the licensing obligation of demolition, excavation and building contractors and the changes in the rules of the builder’s license on which the public consultation has just ended. He stressed that an important change in this license will be the obligation of refresher courses for builders to update themselves with the realities of today’s industry.
The Minister also stated that as a result of the consultation held regarding the builders’ license, the Government will be broadening the discussion with the aim of strengthening the regulatory framework regarding the management of sites of ‘ construction.
Minister Zrinzo Azzopardi also mentioned the work between the Ministry for Public Works and Planning and the University of Malta to make the first compendium of the laws that regulate construction so that they can eventually be consolidated the laws. He also referred to the work being done by the Authority to make the building more efficient in the use of energy and to update the regulations on Energy Performance Certificates known as EPCs.
He stressed that the investment that BCA is making is not only being made through the building that was inaugurated today but he meant how in the coming months a strong investment plan will be carried out in the system of informatics of the Authority with an investment of around €1.8 million. “The workers of the Building and Construction Authority will have a stronger IT platform and a healthier environment in which to work”, reiterated Minister Zrinzo Azzopardi.
In his concluding comments, Minister Zrinzo Azzopardi stressed that the three objectives of all the Authority’s work remain for the country to have more responsibility, more seriousness and above all better quality in the construction sector.
The Chief Executive of the Building and Construction Authority Jesmond Muscat mentioned the three important foundations that lead to the work of the entity he leads being successful. These are the workers, the environment they work in and the tools they work with. He praised the workers for the work they do and said that the number of workers will continue to increase so that the service will always improve. Mr. Muscat emphasized that “with the new offices we have created a workplace where the worker feels comfortable working”.
He also mentioned the importance of the tools that the worker needs to work with and said that in the near future the Authority will have an advanced technology system through which it will be in a position to offer the best service to the its customers. Also present for the inauguration was the Permanent Secretary within the Ministry for Public Works and Planning, Mr. Carlos Tabone, the Chairman of the Building and Construction Authority, Mr. Savior Camilleri together with members of the Authority’s Board of Directors.
