Malta Developers Association president Sandro Chetcuti said that both MDA members and other citizens are facing injustices because their needs are not being met and their rights granted, referring to persons whose land was expropriated but who still haven’t received any compensation from the Lands Department.
“It is not right that citizens’ rights are denied and therefore we will be handing a set of proposals – not wishes - over to the government for its consideration,” Mr Chetcuti, a developer himself, pointed out.
Mr Chetcuti was replying to questions made by this newsroom in a brief interview following yesterday’s affiliation agreement between the MDA and the Federation of Estate Agents. Mr Chetcuti was asked by this newsroom what the MDA’s concrete proposals are for a reform within the Lands’ Department in the light of a brief statement issued by the MDA on 16 June calling for a reform.
One of the proposals, Mr Chetcuti pointed out, is that a board – comprising experts - should be set up to evaluate properties or pieces of land.
“If there is anyone who understands in the property market value it is people like us who have a vast experience in the industry and this is why we are proposing that a board is set up to evaluate properties other than just resorting to one architect’s opinion,” Mr Chetcuti said, referring to the current situation whereby Lands’ Department architects evaluate properties.
In a statement, the MDA had said that the government needs to conduct a thorough reform of the Lands Department so that it will be in a position to carry out its obligations and give a good service to all citizens. On the Old Mint Street, Valletta controversy, the MDA had said that it will wait for the government’s internal inquiry and the Auditor General’s investigation to throw light on the circumstances of the case.
Despite all this, the MDA said it cannot but note the discriminatory way in which the Lands Department has treated this case to the detriment of numerous citizens whose land has been expropriated by Government or requested to redeem their ground rent.
“These have been waiting for long years under numerous administrations to be granted their rights. This must be considered also in the light of the huge difficulties the ordinary citizen faces when he tries to find Government land to exchange with his property, which has been expropriated,” the statement had read.
Mr Chetcuti said that the association – which has put itself at the forefront to ensure procedures are changed to the better - is against any abuse in this sector.
“Anyone left to abuse of a system will only be hurting others,” he continued.
When faced with the question to whether he feels that someone has to carry political responsibility for the Old Mint Street saga in the event it is proved that things did not move according to procedure, he said that the MDA cannot get involved in political controversies because if it did, “we would lose our credibility”.
Questioned whether he feels cases of abuse in the building industry are rampant, he said that in life one can find all sorts of people.
“There are people who are prudent and wait their turn and others who do their utmost to get what they feel is theirs.
“We do not get into individual cases though,” he said.
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