Chamber tells architects not to fill in new BCA forms

The council of the Chamber of Architects (Kamra tal-Periti) is telling its members to not fill in two forms introduced by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) in recent days.

The directive, published on 1 April, informs the chamber members that the two forms were not discussed and agreed upon by the Kamra tal-Periti.

“Many of you will recall that the BCA forms were a major sticking point back in 2019, and the repeal of directives by the Kamra was in part conditional to its review of and agreement with such forms,” the chamber said in its directive. “Indeed, several circulars had been issued regarding the BCA forms at the time.”

“As a result of the BCA’s failure to consult with the Kamra tal-Periti on the two aforementioned forms, the Council is hereby directing all members of the profession not to file them.”

The documentation requires architects and contractors to inform the Building Control Authority (BCA) about the neighboring properties impacted by construction or excavation activities and to disclose the insurance coverage for the ongoing work.

BCA ‘open to clarification’

In a statement on Tuesday, the BCA acknowledged the chamber’s directives and said it is committed to fostering dialogue with all stakeholders in the sector.

“However, it was unexpected that on the same day of an important meeting aimed at enhancing dialogue and discussing the recommendations of the Sofia inquiry, the Chamber of Architects issued the aforementioned directive, despite not being able to attend the meeting.”

“While the Authority remains open to providing clarification on its initiatives, it emphasizes that the measures introduced aim to enhance the protection of third parties affected by construction projects and streamline the insurance process by introducing a ‘Certificate of Insurance’ as a concise summary of lengthy insurance policy documents.”

Red tape ‘disproportional’ – Chamber president

Andre Pizzuto, president of the chamber, told MaltaToday that the BCA is increasing bureacratic measures in the sector as a knee-jerk reaction to the Sofia inquiry.

“There’s no proportionality, no balance,” Pizzuto said of the measures being introduced.

He remarked that the increased red tape is causing a standstill in small projects that involve alterations. “If you want to open a door, or build a wall to split a room, you will have to wait a months, and be burdened with administrative costs that far exceed the cost of the actual alterations. It’s taking so long now that some people just give up on their projects. Others are just going ahead with works without a permit and then engaging architects to sanction. This bureaucracy is making construction more, not less, unsafe. It is the exact opposite of what the Sofia public inquiry recommendations intended.”