The proposed regulations for the licensing of the construction industry lack clarity. They fail to give due weight to the data that the Building and Construction Authority collates on a regular basis from various construction sites following incidents or complaints it investigated. If the proposed regulations are going to ignore such information a repetition of the same actions that led to complaints in the construction industry is guaranteed. Indeed this will lead to incidents increasing, rather than decreasing! Regulation should be done seriously for it to be effective, insisted ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo who was addressing a press conference toegher with Deputy Chairperson Sandra Gauci at the construction site where a building collapse led to the death of Jean Paul Sofia more than three months ago.

ADPD Deputy Chairperson Sandra Gauci said that since the incident that led to the tragic death of Jean Paul Sofia and the injury of four other workers, Jean Paul’s mother – Isabelle Bonnici – has been calling for a public inquiry on the incident.

ADPD – The Green Party supports this call for a public inquiry not only because of the mother’s quest for justice on behalf of her son but also because such an inquiry will go beyond the occurences at the incident’s site and examine in greater detail the circumstances that led to such an incident. It is not acceptable that our Prime Minister not only excludes such a public inquiry but is putting undue pressure on the magistrate to conclude the magisterial inquiry.

Inevitably this raises the question: What is being hidden? Is there an attempt to keep certain practices hidden? Why is there such a reluctance for a public inquiry? Why is a mother who has the right to know the whole truth and to seek justice left pleading in this manner with institutions that remain stubborn in front of her pain?

Gauci reiterated that increasingly the Government is appearing as defending the bully, safeguarding  moneyed interests and  the violent. I fails to protect the victims, the downtrodden and those who lack financial means. This distinction is becoming crystal clear and increasing the disparity between the developers who would like to construct every single plot of land they can lay their hand on without scruples and without any regard for rules, while the rest of the people need to protest, collect signatures and demonstrate in the streets to lay claim on what is rightfully theirs, concluded Gauci.

ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said that that the draft regulations for the licensing of operators in the construction industry do not seem to have taken into consideration the wider implications of the actions by those who seek such licensing. While the police conduct certificate is being requested as part of the documentation needed to apply for any of the three licence types, the proposed regulations do not spell out how the information obtained in this certificate will be taken into consideration in the licensing process.

The proposed regulations do not even consider the reports that the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) collates on complaints and incidents at various constructions sites. These reports on licence subjects would have been drawn up by Authority officials following incidents investigated and complaints received followed by the action taken, where necessary.

This information cannot be ignored at the initial licence processing or renewal stage. About this the draft regulations remain mum. It is not acceptable that this is completely ignored. If this is the case then a repetition of the same actions is guaranteed; the message being that it’s as if nothing happened! This is certainly the case where past performance is actually a guarantee of future results; hence why these reports should be given their due weight prior to a licence being issued or renewed. The proposed regulations ignore this completely. This matter must be addressed. Otherwise the licensing process will not make an iota of difference.

It is imperative that the impact of construction on third parties is considered in the issuing and renewal of licences through the consideration of any incident reported in the records of the BCA  before any decision on any licence is taken.

Too many operators in the construction industry fail to respect residents. Indeed they consider them as a hindrance. This is an area which can be addressed in an effective manner through the licensing process,  and possibly lead to a reduction of the negative impact of construction on residents.

However,  even on this aspect the draft regulations on the licensing of the construction industry remain silent. Another lost opportunity.

***

Proposti għal-liċenzjar tal-industrija tal-kostruzzjoni mhux ċari

“Il-proposti għal regolamenti li għandhom iwasslu għal-liċenzjar tal-industrija tal-kostruzzjoni mhux ċari. Ma jagħtux importanza lill-informazzjoni li uffiċjali tal-Awtorità tal-Bini u Kostruzzjoni jiġbru kontinwament minn siti diversi ta’ kostruzzjoni riżultat ta’ investigazzjonijiet dwar inċidenti u ilmenti li huma jirċievu. Jekk din l-informazzjoni se tkun injorata mir-regolamenti proposti hemm garanzija ċerta li l-imġiba li wasslet għall-inċidenti u ilmenti dwar l-industrija tal-kostruzzjoni se tirrepeti ruħha. Riżultat ta’ hekk l-inċidenti bla dubju jispiċċaw jiżdiedu, mhux jonqsu. Ninsistu li r-regolamentazzjoni ssir bis-serjetà għax hekk biss tista’ tkun effettiva.” Hekk insista ċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD-The Green Party, Carmel Cacopardo meta flimkien mad-Deputat Chairperson Sandra Gauci indirizza konferenza tal-aħbarijiet ħdejn is-sit ta’ kostruzzjoni fejn riżultat ta’ kollass ta’ bini li kien għadu qed jinbena nqatel Jean Paul Sofia, aktar minn tliet xhur ilu.

Id-Deputat Chairperson ta’ ADPD Sandra Gauci qalet li minn dakinhar li seħħ l-incident ta’ Kordin fejn fih tilef ħajtu b’mod traġiku Jean Paul Sofia u miegħu weġġgħu erba’ ħaddiema oħra, omm Jean Paul, Isabelle Bonnici ilha tinsisti li tissejjaħ inkjesta pubblika dwar dan il-każ.

Aħna ta’ ADPD – The Green Party nappoġġjaw li ssir din l-inkjesta pubblika mhux biss għax din l-omm għandha dritt għall-ġustizzja għan-nom ta’ binha imma wkoll għax inkjesta pubblika tmur lilhinn mis-sit tal-inċident u teżamina f’iktar dettal iċ-ċirkustanzi kollha konnessi mal-każ. Ma jistax ikollna Prim Ministru li mhux talli jeskludi inkjesta pubblika imma minn fuq jagħmel pressjoni fuq il-maġistrat biex tfittex tħaffef ħa tlesti l-inkjesta maġisterjali.

Dan inevitabbilment iwassal għall-mistoqsija: X’hemm moħbi? X’qiegħed jipprova jinħeba? Għalfejn din il-biża’ kollha minn inkjesta pubblika? Għalfejn omm li għandha dritt tkun taf u tikseb ġustizzja titħalla tittallab b’dan il-mod mal-istituzzjonijiet li jibqgħu xierfa quddiem il-weġgħat tagħha, u riżultat ta’ hekk iwasslu messaġġ li qed jippruvaw iżommu xi ħaġa mistura?

Gauci tenniet li għandna stat li kulma jmur qiegħed juri li hu aktar tarka tal-bully, ta’ min għandu l-flus u ta’ min juża l-vjolenza. Stat li joqgħod lura milli jipproteġi l-vittmi, l-batuti u dawk li m’għandhomx il-mezzi ekonomiċi. Din hi distinzjoni kważi netta li kulma jmur qed tkabbar id-differenza bejn l-iżviluppaturi li jridu jibnu kull rokna ta’ Malta bla ebda skruplu u lilhinn mir-regoli u l-bqija tal-poplu li jrid joqgħod jipprotesta, jiġbor il-firem u joħroġ fit-toroq biex forsi jieħu dak li hu tiegħu, temmet tgħid Gauci.

Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party Carmel Cacopardo tkellem dwar l-abbozz ta’ regolamenti li għandhom iwasslu għal-liċenzjar ta’ operaturi differenti fl-industrija tal-kostruzzjoni. Madankollu l-proposti ippubblikati s’issa ma jidhirx li jagħtu importanza tal-imġiba (f’sens wiesa’) ta’ dawk soġġetti għal liċenzja. Filwaqt li jintalab iċ-ċertifikat tal-kondotta bħala parti mid-dokumenti biex wieħed japplika għal kull waħda mit-tliet tipi ta’ liċenzji, mhux ċar fir-regolamenti proposti kif dak li jirriżulta miċ-ċertifikat tal-kondotta se jiġi kkunsidrat fil-proċess tal-liċenzjar.

Ir-regolamenti proposti lanqas ma jagħtu każ tar-rapporti akkumulati mill-Awtorità tal-Bini u Kostruzzjoni (BCA) dwar ilmenti u inċidenti diversi fuq siti ta’ kostruzzjoni. Dawn huma rapporti li jikkonċernaw lil dawk li huma soġġetti għal-liċenzja u li fihom uffiċjali tal-Awtorità stess investigaw inċidenti u ilmenti li jkun irċevew u jirrapurtaw dwar il-passi li ħadu dwarhom, fejn dan kien meħtieġ.

Dan kollu ma jistax ikun injorat meta tkun ipproċessata talba għal ħruġ ta’ liċenzja, inkella biex din tiġġedded. Imma dwar dan ma hemm xejn fl-abbozz tar-regolamenti. Ma jistax ikun li dan kollu jibqa’ jiġi injorat. Għax jekk dan jiġi injorat qed niddeċiedu minn issa li dawn l-ilmenti u inċidenti se jibqgħu jirrepetu ruħhom. Qed jingħata l-messaġġ li qisu ma ġara xejn. Dan hu ċertament każ fejn il-passat hu garanzija tal-futur u għalhekk għandhom jingħataw piż qabel ma tittieħed deċiżjoni dwar ħruġ jew tiġdid ta’ liċenzji.  Ir-regolamenti proposti, dan kollu ma jagħtux każ tiegħu. Dan hu ħażin u għandu jinbidel. Jekk ma jinbidilx, il-proċess tal-liċenzjar ma hu se jibdel xejn.

F’dan il-kuntest huwa importanti ħafna li l-impatti tal-proċess tal-kostruzzjoni fuq terzi jingħata piż fil-proċess tal-ħruġ jew tiġdid tal-licenzji. Dan isir billi kull incident li jkun hemm rekord tiegħu għand l-Awtorità jagħtu każ tiegħu qabel ma tittieħed deċiżjoni dwar kwalunkwe liċenzja.

Hemm wisq operaturi fl-industrija tal-kostruzzjoni li ma jagħtux każ tar-residenti. Jarawhom bħala xkiel. Dan hu qasam li bħala riżultat tal-proċess tal-liċenzja, jista’ jiġi indirizzat b’mod effettiv u possibilment iwassal biex jonqos l-impatt negattiv tax-xogħol tal-kostruzzjoni fuq ir-residenti.

Imma anke dwar dan l-abbozz tar-regoli dwar il-liċenzji tal-industrija tal-kostruzzjoni ma jgħid xejn. Din hi opportunità oħra mitlufa.