The proposed Construction Industry Licensing Regulations could have been a sorely needed turning point in the regulation of the construction industry, but they fall short of their stated aims.

Moviment Graffitti made this statement in its submission to the public consultation issued by the Building & Construction Authority on the said Regulations, together with a number of important proposals to strengthen the Regulations, and ensure that their coming into force would truly lead to a safer and more regulated industry.

“The licensing of contractors is long overdue. Only a few months ago, Jean Paul Sofia, like Miriam Pace three years ago, was killed in a construction incident. The workplace death of construction workers has also become a monthly occurrence and thousands are injured on construction sites every year. These deaths were preventable had there been serious regulation of the construction industry. The Regulations presented, not only come tragically late, but are also far too timid in their approach,” a spokesperson for Moviment Graffitti explained. “Our communities deserve better.”

Chief among the organisation’s concerns is the lack of clarity and transparency on the way breaches of the Regulations and licence conditions would be handled by the BCA, pointing out that as the Regulations stand, the public has little to no power to participate in proceedings or even be informed about them. In parallel, it is clear that the soft approach to enforcement and penalisation in the Regulations is not sufficient to shift the current free-for-all attitude ruling the construction industry.

“The public and our quality of life should be at the heart of this reform,” Moviment Graffitti emphasised. “This is why transparency and the right to be informed are crucial, and worryingly, missing from the Regulations.”

Moviment Graffitti also criticised Government’s inability to create a structure free from political involvement, highlighting the fact that the licensing committee is to be appointed by the Minister, with the eligibility criteria being conveniently wide, and with factually perpetual terms of re-appointment.

Emphasising the need to revise the Regulations prior to their coming into force, Moviment Graffitti also called for the immediate publication of National Building and Construction Codes, together with tangible enforcement of existing laws to eliminate the unsafe and illegal practices plaguing the industry, in line with the organisation’s landmark publication, Reforming Planning and Construction in Malta, a document outlining 134 proposals aimed at reforming the planning and construction sector.

“Government is once again being weak with the strong, to the detriment of our safety and quality of life,” Moviment Graffitti reiterated.

Ir-Regolamenti tal-Iiċenzjar fil-Kostruzzjoni li ġew proposti setgħu servew biex isseħħ il-bidla tant meħtieġa fil-regolamentazzjoni tal-industrija tal-kostruzzjoni, imma kif inhuma mhux se jservu biex jintlaħqu l-miri stabbiliti.

Il-Moviment Graffitti għamel din id-dikjarazzjoni fis-sottomissjoni tiegħu għall-konsultazzjoni pubblika li nħarġet mill-Awtorità tal-Bini u l-Kostruzzjoni dwar l-istess Regolamenti, flimkien ma’ numru ta’ proposti importanti biex jissaħħu r-Regolamenti, u biex ikun żgurat li meta jidħlu fis-seħħ verament iservu biex l-industrija tkun iktar regolata u sigura.

“Il-liċenzjar tal-kuntratturi missha ilha li saret. Ftit xhur ilu biss, Jean Paul Sofia, bħal Miriam Pace tliet snin ilu, spiċċa maqtul f’inċident tal-kostruzzjoni. Il-mewt fuq il-post tax-xogħol ta’ ħaddiema tal-kostruzzjoni issa saret xiħaġa ta’ kull xahar, u kull sena eluf jisfgħu midruba fuq siti tal-kostruzzjoni. Dawn l-imwiet setgħu ġew evitati kieku kien hemm regolamentazzjoni serja tal-industrija tal-kostruzzjoni. Ir-Regolamenti preżentati, mhux biss waslu traġikament tard, imma huma wkoll wisq kawti fl-approċċ tagħhom”, spjega kelliem għall- Moviment Graffitti. “Il-komunitajiet tagħna ħaqqhom aħjar.”

Wieħed mill-punti ewlenin ta’ tħassib għall-organizzazzjoni huwa n-nuqqas ta’ ċarezza u trasparenza dwar kif il-ksur tar-Regolamenti u l-kundizzjonijiet tal-liċenzjar se jkunu indirizzati mill-BCA, u innutat li, kif inhuma r-Regolamenti bħalissa, il-pubbliku għandu ftit li xejn poter biex jieħu sehem fil-proċeduri jew biex inkun infurmat fuqhom. Huwa daqstant ċar li l-mod dgħajjef li ttieħed lejn l-infurzar u l-penalizzazzjoni fir-Regolamenti mhux biżżejjed biex ibiddel l-attitudni li bħalissa tirrennja fl-industrija tal-kostruzzjoni li kulħadd jista’ jagħmel li jrid.

“Il-pubbliku u l-kwalità tal-ħajja tagħna jeħtieġ li jkunu fil-qalba ta’ din ir-riforma”, saħaq il-Moviment Graffitti. “Huwa għalhekk li t-trasparenza u d-dritt għall-informazzjoni huma kruċjali, u huwa ta’ tħassib li tħallew barra mir-Regolamenti”.

Il-Moviment Graffitti kkritika wkoll il-fatt li l-Gvern ma rnexxilux joħloq struttura ħielsa mill-indħil politiku. Huwa ġibed l-attenzjoni għall-fatt li l-kumitat tal-liċenzjar se jkun maħtura mill-Ministru, bi kriterji ta’ eliġibilità konvenjentement wesgħin, u li fil-prattika jippermettu li l-istess persuni jistgħu jibqgħu jiġu maħtura b’mod indefinit biex iservu fuq il-kumitat.

Filwaqt li enfesizza l-ħtieġa li jiġu reveduti r-Regolamenti qabel ma jidħlu fis-seħħ, il-Moviment Graffitti sejjaħ ukoll għall-publikazzjoni immedjata ta’ Kodiċi Nazzjonali għall-Bini u l-Kostruzzjoni, flimkien ma’ infurzar tanġibbli tal-liġijiet eżistenti sabiex jiġu eliminati l-prattiċi perikolużi u illegali li qegħdin jifnu lill-industrija. Dan jirrifletti dak li ġie propost ukoll fil-pubblikazzjoni ewlenija, Reforming Planning and Construction in Malta, dokument li fih il-Moviment Graffitti elenka 134 proposta għar-riforma fis-settur tal-ippjanar u l-kostruzzjoni.

“Għal darb’oħra l-Gvern qiegħed ikun dgħajjef ma’ min għandu s-saħħa, għas-skapitu tas-sigurtà u l-kwalità ta’ ħajjitna”, tenna l-Moviment Graffitti.