Prime Minister tells developers building industry is key driver but must not be the only one

Construction ought to be one of the country's economic motors but not the only one, Prime Minister Robert Abela told members of the Malta Developers' Association (MDA) on Wednesday.

Government met with the MDA for a pre-budget consultation meeting, where the two entities discussed the building industry and ways it could operate in a more environmentally-friendly manner.

At the beginning of the meeting, Abela pointed out that the construction sector should be one of Malta's economic motors, as long as it's not the only one.

According to a government statement, the meeting centred around the sustainability of the sector in terms of environmental impact. Abela mentioned lowering industry emissions that could allow Malta to reach carbon neutrality.

"We already introduced schemes to help with this investment, and we will continue to do so," the Prime Minister said. 

MDA President Sandro Chetcuti praised the measures taken by government throughout the pandemic. He said the measures helped prevent people from suffering any negative impacts from the pandemic.

He mentioned that government implemented 28 of the proposals put forward by the association, including the first-time and second-time buyer initiatives.

Chetcuti expressed commitment to improve on the industry's operations so that construction can further contribute to Malta's economic and environmental goals.

Earlier on Wednesday, the MDA condemned allegations that a construction worker was abandoned on a pavement in Mellieħa after falling two storeys on a construction site.

The incident left many shocked after a video was posted to Facebook showing the victim left on the roadside, lamenting that he does not want to face prison time.

Many condemned the act, while Kamra tal-Periti (Chamber of Architects) stated that unless contractors are required to possess a license to operate, Malta's construction industry will fail to make a quality leap forward.

It is unclear whether any of these issues were mentioned during the consultation meeting.