PN MP Stanley Zammit has said that government has increased unnecessary bureaucracy, rather than addressing the problems in the construction sector and implementing the recommendations made by the public inquiry into the death of Jean Paul Sofia.

The PN statement followed news of the resignation of Architect Robert Ellul Sciberras from the board of the Building and Construction Authority, saying that the authority is putting paperwork ahead of safety, and has been making “hasty decisions” unilaterally.

“The resignation of Ellul Sciberras from the Board of the Building and Construction Authority is another confirmation of what the Nationalist Party has been insisting on,” Zammit said Tuesday.

He said that the Labour government is lacking any plan for the construction sector due to fears that its incompetence will be revealed, and then voted against the public inquiry into Sofia’s death.

“Now, instead of addressing the problems in the construction sector and implementing what the public inquiry suggests, unnecessary bureaucracy has increased. This is despite the fact that the inquiry report was clear when it indicated a "comedy of errors" and a serious lack of "political will in enforcing laws, through public entities being given the means and the people so that this could be done,” Zammit said.

He said that the PN maintains that the government needs to supervise, consult, and listen seriously to the construction sector, while coming up with a holistic, serious, agreed upon, clear, and transparent plan.

Zammit said that the Nationalist Party will continue to work for consistent and gradual reforms without delay, obstacles or excessive bureaucracy to modernize the construction industry, restore the country's confidence in the same industry, reduce costs, and improve peace of mind, the environment, and quality of life.