Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1536175
4 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 8 JUNE 2025 NEWS Mandatory licensing for construction contractors in Malta begins this July AS of July 1, 2025, all contrac- tors, working in demolition, ex- cavation and construction, in Malta must hold a valid licence to legally operate in the men- tioned sectors. This regulatory milestone follows years of pub- lic concern over safety stand- ards, quality and accountability in the building industry. The process, of such licensing is being driven by the Building and Construction Authority and an Independent Committee which is issuing such licenses according to the Maltese law. This process is a first for our country, as up till two years ago, the Government didn't have a register of operators working in the sector. The scope of such licensing is to make a clear distinction be- tween responsible and profes- sional operators and cow-boy operators. The move towards mandatory licensing was cat- alysed by a series of construc- tion-related incidents, between 2019 and 2022. A consultation process, in relation to the li- censing, was done after the tragic death of Jean Paul Sofia in December 2022 due to a site collapse. In response to this in- cident, the Maltese government introduced a legal framework mandating provisional licenses for contractors, with full compli- ance required by mid-2025. The licensing requirement stems from Legal Notice 166 of 2023, which introduced the Construction Industry Licensing Regulations. These regulations were published in the Govern- ment Gazette on July 18, 2023, and mandated that all con- tractors apply for a licence by October 31, 2023, to continue operating under provisional ap- proval. Contractors who applied after this date were required to wait for provisional clearance before commencing work. It is to be said that several inspec- tions after October 31, 2023 revealed contractors working with a provisional license. As a result, their work was halted, and the necessary measures were taken. The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has been over- seeing the licensing process. As of today, the BCA had issued ap- proximately 1,500 licensing and is processing more applications to ensure compliance. Finally, the license is issued by an inde- pendent committee, composed of professionals in the sector. Under the new regulations, contractors are required to ob- tain separate licences for demo- lition, excavation, and construc- tion activities. Applicants must demonstrate competence in their respective fields and pro- vide documentation demon- strating compliance with safe- ty standards and professional competencies. For the first time in Malta's history, only licensed contractors will be allowed to build, drawing a bold line be- tween professionalism and recklessness in an industry that can no longer afford compro- mise Meanwhile, the BCA is pro- cessing hundreds of other ap- plications in connection with the Masons' Licenses, which the regulatory framework has been revised recently. The two frame- works, the Contractors' and Ma- sons' will be ensuring more pro- fessionalism in the construction trades and sectors. In tandem with the Licensing frameworks, the BCA is working on a set of Building and Construction Codes, with which the licensed parties need to adhere in their work. This will provide a holistic approach for the BCA to better enforce and regulate the sector. The implementation of man- datory licensing aims to en- hance safety, accountability, and professionalism within Malta's construction industry. By establishing clear standards and responsibilities, the BCA seeks to improve the quality of work and protect the interests of all stakeholders involved in construction projects. This regulatory shift under- scores Malta's commitments to elevating the construction industry standards and safe- guarding public welfare. The BCA continues to provide guid- ance and support to ensure a smooth transition to the new licensing regime. For more in- formation about the licensing of contractors please call 138. THIS IS A PAID COLLABORATION PN wants NAO probe before parliament debates Manoel Island petition THE Nationalist Party wants the contract with MIDI plc to be scrutinised by the National Audit Office before the Manoel Island project can be discussed in parliament. The PN told MaltaToday the 29,000-strong petition calling for Manoel Island to be turned into a national park should be discussed in a plenary session of parliament. But it emphasised this should take place after an independent review of the con- tract by the NAO. The party was replying to questions from MaltaToday on whether it agrees with discuss- ing the petition in parliament, following Bernard Grech's state- ment last week in which he ex- pressed full support for trans- forming Manoel Island into a national park. Grech had also asked for an analysis of the contract to de- termine whether any parts of it were breached. MaltaToday asked the PN to clarify how this analysis should be conducted. "Surely the petition should be discussed by the plenary after the analysis on the contract is finalised," a party spokesperson said, adding the party believes the contract should be analysed by the NAO. The PN is insisting that the analysis be carried out by this constitutional body, which is an- swerable to parliament, because it is "an impartial body which is empowered under Maltese law to scrutinise government con- tracts." According to the PN, this anal- ysis "will provide a clear picture when discussing the contract in plenary." It was the prime minister who, last week, announced a review of the contract to identify possi- ble breaches. He tasked Labour backbencher and former minis- ter Edward Zammit Lewis and PL president Alex Sciberras to the MIDI concession for poten- tial breaches. Both individuals had previous- ly been critical of the MIDI con- cession, with the party president himself being a signatory to the petition. This represented a sharp change in tone from earlier dec- larations by the prime minister, who was initially dismissive of the petition, even if he contin- ued to rule out compensation to MIDI. The PN leader has also shifted his stance after initially adopt- ing a more cautious approach when he described the idea of transforming Manoel Island in- to a park as "a beautiful dream", while emphasising that contrac- tual obligations must be respect- ed. Grech later was more forceful in his support for the petition and the need to transform Ma- noel Island into a national park, while arguing that the contract should be analysed for potential breaches. MIDI plc was granted a 99-year concession on Manoel Island and Tigné in 2000 to develop luxury residences and commer- cial outlets. The company is in- sisting it has not breached its ob- ligations and any delays in works on Manoel Island were the result of a protracted planning process and archaeological finds. PN leader Bernard Grech