Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1516944
6 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 6 MARCH 2024 NEWS MATTHEW FARRUGIA mfarrugia@mediatoday.com.mt SHADOW minister for the economy and enterprise, Je- rome Caruana Cilia stated that ministers have resigned for less grievous offences than the failings pointed out by the Jean Paul Sofia public inquiry. On TVM's Xtra, Caruana Cilia listed a number of PL ministers who resigned fol- lowing much smaller scandals, as he listed examples such as Manuel Mallia's resignation following a shooting incident involving his driver. Flanked by economy minister Silvio Schembri, Caruana Cilia underlined the crucial recom- mendations in the public in- quiry, as he blasted the Prime Minister for delaying the pub- lic inquiry and losing time to implement the reforms. The PN MP reiterated his party's stance by saying that it is unacceptable for a person to die in this manner with no po- litical responsibility taken. Responding to this, Schembri said that the PN is lying when it says that the report men- tions failings by the country's executive branch. Schembri accused the Opposition of confusing the state with the government. He further stated that those who have been named as re- sponsible for the failures that led to Sofia's death have re- signed. When asked by presenter Saviour Balzan if there would have been political resigna- tions if this was recommended by the report, Schembri imme- diately responded in the affir- mative. The minister said when it comes to reforms, his govern- ment has a proven track re- cord of making the necessary changes. Schembri also noted that the three public inquir- ies in Malta's history were all launched by PL governments. Meanwhile, Caruana Cilia corrected Schembri's state- ment as he quoted the public inquiry report as he read, "The State failed in keeping an eye out for the Executive's mess (taħwid)..." He further accused the Prime Minister of confusing the pub- lic in order to shrug off re- sponsibility for the tragedy. Looking forward, Schembri noted that government will soon publish calls in order to create a pool of lawyers and architects which will provide services to anyone with que- ries or complaints related to construction, free of charge. He also reminded that gov- ernment will pass a new law that will regulate health and safety in the workplace by next summer, as well as changes in the inner workings of the gov- ernment entities lambasted by the public inquiry. Ministers have resigned for smaller failures, Caruana Cilia says Caruana Cilia underlined the crucial recommendations in the public inquiry, as he blasted the Prime Minister for delaying the public inquiry and losing time to implement the reforms SOME of the recommendations made by the Jean Paul Sofia public inquiry should be "thoroughly assessed" and "not sim- ply transposed", the development lobby group cautioned on Tuesday. The Malta Development Association said it agreed with most of the recom- mendations but requested a deeper anal- ysis by the Cabinet committee of some of the proposals that could impact invest- ment. One of the issues flagged by the MDA was the recommendation that construc- tion in industrial estates should be subject to a full development permit. "This will significantly increase the lead time for any attraction of investment," the MDA said, adding that a more detailed analysis was required to ensure prospec- tive investors are not caught up in red tap The MDA also queried the recommen- dation that bank guarantees should in- crease to 20% of the construction value from the current 10%. "One should consider a wider reform that classifies contractors and reflect on its broader societal implications, particu- larly the potential burden on homeown- ers due to escalating costs," the MDA said. "It's imperative to recognise that aug- menting bureaucratic processes may inadvertently contribute to rising hous- ing prices," the MDA added, noting that decision-making should prioritise the well-being of the community and pro- mote "equitable access to affordable housing". The association said the Sofia Inquiry is an "important cornerstone" in the mod- ernisation of the construction industry. It welcomed the recommendation that it should be mandatory for all contractors to have an insurance policy to be licensed, a proposal the MDA has been pushing for several years. The MDA suggested that the inter-min- isterial committee tasked with imple- menting the inquiry's recommendations should include stakeholders "to be more effective". "One should also consider having a rep- resentative of the inquiry as part of the committee," the organisation said. The Cabinet committee was formed by the Prime Minister in the aftermath of the inquiry's publication. It is made up of ministers Jonathan Attard, who is re- sponsible for reforms in the construction sector, Byron Camilleri, responsible for Jobsplus and Identità, Clint Camileri, re- sponsible for planning, and Silvio Schem- bri, responsible for Malta Enterprise and INDIS. Development lobby cautions against 'simply' transposing some Sofia Inquiry recommendations The factory in Corradino Industrial Estate where Jean Paul Sofia died after the building collapsed: The MDA says a recommendation requiring buildings in industrial zones to acquire a full development permit may increase lead times for prospective investors as it cautioned against excessive bureaucracy The Malta Development Association welcomes the Sofia Inquiry recommendations but calls for deeper analysis of some proposals that could impact investment and housing affordability KURT SANSONE ksansone@mediatoday.com.mt