‘Only 6%’ consider NGOs to be of obstacle to development

A survey conducted among members of the Malta Developers Association found respondents pointing towards non-governmental organisations (NGOs) as one of the biggest obstacles to the construction industry.

MDA president Sandro Chetcuti now clarifies that it was “only 6%” of the MDA members who believed so.

Playing down the “minimal” survey results, Chetcuti argued said the developers’ association did not see green NGOs as an obstacle, but “important” in their fight to curtail abuse in development.

“MDA has sought to meet up with environmental NGOs and improve the communication between us… but we have not received any feedback from them [NGOs],” Chetcuti said.

He blamed “the misguided perception” that developers wanted to turn Malta into a “concrete jungle” as the reason why NGOs felt uncomfortable communicating with the MDA.

“Because people in the past constructed and developed buildings everywhere without any control, the perception is that developers are only interested in building the whole of Malta,” Chetcuti said.

He even insisted that the MDA was against extending outside development zones (ODZ) and it was only seeking “to rectify injustices”. “God forbid we open more land for development. We do not need more shabby and abandoned properties, but we want to use and regenerate the uninhabited and abandoned property,” he said.

Whether 6% or not, Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar (FAA) coordinator Astrid Vella took umbrage at the survey results accusing the MDA of wanting to distorting the truth – the existence of 40,000 vacant properties.

Vella also rebutted allegations that green NGOs failed to communicated with the MDA: “FAA has not only met with the developers’ association but we have also approached them to issue a joint statement on the ODZ policy - which they refused.”

Vella said NGOs were “an obstacle to abuse” and went on to accuse the construction industry of “hindering” tourism, the country’s largest economic sector.