From Mr F. Gatt

I was most disappointed after tendering for the Quantity Surveying Services issued by the Housing Construction and Maintenance Department for various government projects in Malta.

First, the fees on these tenders are ridiculous and include a minimal profit margin if any at all. The Housing directors do not even evaluate the cost of the implementation that contractors could have on these bidders tendering with such low fees.

Secondly, this department doesn’t even evaluate bidders’ experience and qualification but just the numerical figure on their tenders.

If we had to face reality, we would all realise that there could be a reason for such low tender bids and this so less competition is introduced and tenders can be awarded to the same bidder without prejudice. As already happened, one single entity bidding on these tenders has already been awarded six major projects in a row.

The directors of the Housing didn’t even evaluate the workload capability of such entity, the number of personnel working in his organisation, if any (surely needed to carry out the work of these different tenders), and his experience in such work, considering that this entity is not even qualified as a quantity surveyor or even an estimator.

Instead of controlling such discrimination in the system for these tender evaluations and awards, once it clearly shows lack of efficiency, honesty and transparency, Housing is on the contrary putting it into practice and imposing it to eliminate honest bidders tendering for these works, who are trying to have an opportunity to give a professional service to the government.

I have also noticed from my past experience working with government technical departments managed by architects; such as the Housing Construction and Maintenance Department, The Foundation of Tomorrow Schools, the Freeport Corporation and so on... that architects tend to take on more architects, without considering other people with degrees in construction management, project management, planning control, cost control, quantity surveying and so on... for which these people are certainly more specialised in these fields than themselves.

No wonder local projects take ages to be completed and cost twice their budgeted and estimated value!!

I am afraid that this will never change since the mentality in these departments is stagnant.

Fabrizio Gatt

San Gwann