“Asked about Mr Chetcuti’s appointment, since he stands charged with seriously injuring GRTU director general Vince Farrugia last March, Mr Falzon replied that Mr Chetcuti at first refused to accept the nomination but members wanted him. They knew him as a doer who was always at the forefront of the industry”
The Malta Developers’ Association, headed by architect Michael Falzon, was recently formed as developers are facing difficulties and they thought it was best to unite and better express themselves with the authorities.
Its aim is also to improve a negative public perception.
The association’s mission statement says it is in favour of responsible and sustainable development which creates employment and benefits the community. It promotes conscientious real estate development and ownership through legislative advocacy, educational programmes and professional networking opportunities.
“Balance between development and environment protection is a subjective argument that often leads to compromise which is neither favourable for one side and nor for the other,” said MDA chairperson Michael Falzon during a press conference to launch the association.
The public has a negative perception of developers who are seen by the government as a tax collection source and likewise a source of advertising for the media. Mr Falzon also felt there was lack of balance between the space given for NGOs to express themselves in the media and that given to developers.
Elected on 16 September, its council is made up of vice-president Sandro Chetcuti, secretary Pierre Galea, Paul Xuereb as treasurer, as well as Ray Zammit, Anton Camilleri, Eurchar Mizzi as a representative of Gozitan developers, Keith Pillow and Malcolm Mallia.
Lawyer Robert Abela was entrusted with drawing up a statute including a code of ethics, Mr Falzon said. MDA already has members.
Asked about Mr Chetcuti’s appointment, since he stands charged with seriously injuring GRTU director general Vince Farrugia last March, Mr Falzon replied that Mr Chetcuti at first refused to accept the nomination but “members wanted him”. They knew him as a “doer” who was always at the forefront of the industry. They showed their trust in electing him.
Questioned about political party financing, Mr Falzon, a former Nationalist Party minister of infrastructure, and later of education, believed that all businessmen supported parties and some individuals supported both the PL and the PN. However he felt donations should be made known to the public.
Although having its own code of ethics and ready to expel members who misbehave, the MDA does not intend to act as an industry self-regulator as the market already regulates itself. If oversupply is the case, developers will not persist in purchasing land and get it built up as it will not sell. Similarly, it believes the Malta Environment and Planning Authority should control over-development and over-crowding to stop it from happening, rather than individuals or the association, although the latter is not in favour of it.
For the time being, the newly formed association will be carrying out studies on particular issues before it can express itself on the basis of results.
Among the problems it sees are Mepa’s exorbitant development application fees, the fact there was not enough consultation with those who apply for permits prior to the Mepa reform and matters on a more technical nature, such as the clause in the Civil Code that provides for neighbours who happen to live next to each other but not for those who live above each other. Consequently the courts are taking conflicting decisions.