The Minister for Justice and Reform of the Construction Sector Jonathan Attard said that a guarantee can be given that the authorities would not fear revoking licences for construction sector rule breakers in situations where such a step is required, as long as it falls within the parameters of what is permissible by law.
He was speaking with The Malta Independent during an interview, the first part of which was published in yesterday's edition of The Malta Independent on Sunday.
A number of reforms for the construction sector were introduced over recent years. Among them, was the setting up of the Building and Construction Authority, and the introduction of the Building contractors license. If a contractor is in breach of regulations, they can face administrative penalties, or even have their licence suspended or revoked.
Asked if he could guarantee that the authorities wouldn't fear using their ability to revoke licences for rule breakers, that if such a step is needed it would be taken, the minister said: "That guarantee can be given, as long as it is within the parameters of what is permissible by law."
The government, he said, is legislating laws to provide more effective tools for enforcement officers.
He mentioned the new law tied to Occupational Health and Safety. He said that it will lead to situations where a repeat offender would even be listed publicly, "to create a further deterrent, aside from increasing the fines."
"We are determined, not with a sense of inquisition, but with a sense of responsibility, to promote a culture where there would be reciprocal respect between employers, third persons and their workers."
"As government, our role is to legislate, to introduce regulations where none existed. As the public inquiry into the tragic death of Jean Paul Sofia said, we need to recuperate 50 years, and that is what we are doing."
He said that in the past there was no contractors' license, while the license for masons goes back more than 100 years. The government introduced new regulations, he said. "We also gave a sense of remedy for third parties. The Opposition Leader tried to ridicule us for having introduced a 24-hour helpline. Today the people can see that the helpline is providing a sense of remedy. These is more to do, but at least today you have a centralised place you can call to either report on construction or health and safety issues, or ask for more information."
Asked about investment in the enforcement arms of the various authorities, and whether the government intends to increase the number of enforcement officers, the minister said that there is an ongoing recruitment process in both the Building and Construction Authority, to recruit more people specialised on enforcement, and the Occupational Health & Safety Authority, "where there is a continuous recruitment process ongoing, that will lead to the number of employees more than tripling."
"It is not just a question of numbers. There is work ongoing between the two entities. They are collaborating together to join forces on enforcement, to maximise the human resources and to also be more effective. If you have a pool of enforcers who observed both a breach tied to construction and a breach tied to health and safety, they can take steps immediately." He said that there is unprecedented investment.
First part of the interview was carried here