Make public list of those legally allowed to operate in building industry, developers and architects say

A list of contractors and masons legally allowed to operate should be publicly available to allow stakeholders to make informed choices, the National Building Council said.

“Unfortunately, to date, the Building and Construction Authority has failed to publish the list of permitted contractors and licensed masons,” the NBA said in a statement on Thursday.

The NBA brings together the Malta Development Association and the Chamber of Architects.

The lobby group was reacting to the news that nine building projects were halted after the contractors failed to apply for a licence in line with new legal requirements. However, the BCA refused to disclose who the contractors were, citing data protection.

The NBA insisted that stakeholders, including the general public, should have a readily accessible database of all those legally allowed to operate in the industry.

“This information constitutes a matter of national and public interest which cannot be shielded with the excuse of data protection,” the NBA said, adding data protection did not apply in such circumstances.

It noted that the BCA’s failure to publish these lists meant that the owners of the nine sites that were shut down, and their architects, will be burdened with cost of site closures through no fault of their own.

“Moreover, the purchasers of the affected properties will also endure the delay in moving into their new homes. This is unjust and must be rectified immediately,” the NBA said.