The Malta Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise welcomed Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi’s statement on TV that the government was concluding a legislative proposal on rent with ample consultation with the opposition.

The chamber said it has been pressing for an effective solution to be sought for the unjust aspects of the pre-1995 rent agreements.

The issue was raised again during recent chamber council meetings with the Prime Minister and with the Parliamentary Secretary in the Finance Ministry.

The chamber said that while it agreed with the introduction of all necessary safeguards to ascertain the social aspect of the reform, it looked forward to an early solution to the injustice currently faced by victims of this law.

The chamber felt mostly encouraged by the fact that political consensus would be sought on the subject and argued that the reason why owners were reluctant to rent houses to Maltese people was one of trust. Landlords, it said, lacked trust in legislators.