Of the 39 recommendations made in the Jean Paul Sofia public inquiry, 22% have been implemented entirely, and 74% are in the process of being implemented, the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff Mark Mallia said during a press briefing by the Cabinet sub-committee on the implementation of the Sofia inquiry report.

Mallia said that there will be a parliamentary debate taking place on Monday regarding the recommendations of the board of inquiry set up following the death of Sofia, with the committee's findings being tabled by the Prime Minister.

The committee is composed of four ministers and the Chief of Staff of the Office of the Prime Minister. The ministers who form part of the committee are Justice Minister Jonathan Attard, Planning Minister Clint Camilleri, Economy Minister Silvio Schembri, and Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri, who was not present during the press briefing on Monday.

Mallia said that since the Prime Minister first received the public inquiry report in February 2024, subsequently establishing the sub-committee, there have been around eighteen meetings coordinated within that year since so that the recommendations of the inquiry "would preferably be implemented".

The OPM Chief of Staff continued that the Prime Minister had immediately announced additional initiatives to be implemented, which Mallia said included providing a greater voice for citizens in regard to construction, better enforcement in the construction sector, new laws concerning security and health at the workplace, as well as a reform in the construction sector and the allocation of land.

Mallia said that the government wanted to see to it that the level of the construction sector and security at the workplace would be improved through the inquiry's recommendations and the work of the inter-ministerial committee. He added that the permanent secretaries of the relevant ministries and the chairpersons of the various entities were also present during some meetings. He said that some meetings with Isabelle Bonnici, the mother of Jean Paul Sofia, were also held.

Economy Minister Schembri said that the government is seeing to it that the recommendations of the report are implemented as quickly as possible.

Speaking about amendments to the procedures of development notification orders, Planning Minister Camilleri said that significant amendments were introduced to strengthen the regulations for developments in industrial zones led by INDIS and Malta Enterprise. He said that once the notification is validated, the Planning Authority will have 30 days to evaluate the submission and give its recommendations, followed by seven additional days for a final decision by the Planning Board.

Camilleri continued that new regulations for developments near tertiary properties now need to undergo the entire process of the development application, which he said ensures that the process is more transparent and entails more rigorous scrutiny. He also said that developments completely surrounded by INDIS sites will be regulated under new regulatory orders in order to guarantee conformity and effective enforcement. He added that approved developments will be valid for three years, with the possibility for extension of an additional three years.

He also said that every development in an INDIS or Malta Enterprise zone which touches tertiary property will need to undergo a period of public consultation of 30 days.

Justice Minister Attard commented that the considerations and recommendations put forward fall on various ministries, as he added that the conclusion of the inquiry coincides with the function of the Justice Ministry, which has also taken on board the reform of the construction sector.

Attard said that the committee's work has been focused on legislative reforms, the strengthening of authorities and entities in the construction sector, as well as dialogue and relations between stakeholders in the sector.

He said that the Occupational Health and Safety Authority has an ongoing recruitment program. He added that there is also an ongoing recruitment process within the Building and Construction Authority.

Attard said that there have been more agreements, including memorandums of understandings, signed between entities such as OHSA and BCA among others in order to strengthen governance in the sector.There have been around 550 joint-inspections since the last week of August 2024 to now, Attard stated. The committee added that there were over 20,000 inspections carried out by the BCA and the OHSA separately in 2024. Attard also said that there were 17,000 calls made to helpline 138 within six months, meaning that there were around 100 calls daily.

He said that there is also a widening of the Ombudsman's competency, including an extended mandate to the Commissioner for the Environment and Planning in the construction sector. Additionally, Attard said that the Directorate for Construction, Health, and Security on the Workplace has been established to promote better security and coordinate with relevant entities to implement needed measures.

The Justice Minister said that an agreement was signed which will bring together main partners in the construction sector with the commitment to work on the implementation of national codes on building and construction, which he said will lead to the gradual implementation of 17 building codes and 6 construction codes. Attard continued that this agreement emphasises the collective commitment to develop and implement these codes with clear terms, where the immediate priority will be regulations concerning structures, security, and the prevention of fires. Attard said that an OHSA office will be opened in Gozo this month, meaning that Gozitans will not need to travel to Malta to deal with matters relevant to health and security in the workplace.

Regarding regulations for the issuing of masons' licences and contractors' licences, Attard said that individuals who fail to get their masons' licences on two occasions in a year can make a request so that their evaluation is conducted based on experience. Attard said that the contractors' licence is intended to increase order in the sector, with the BCA having, for the first time, a register of who is operating in the market.

Mallia spoke of the skills card initiative and stated that with the skills card being extended to other sectors, one of the first will be the construction sector. The committee concluded by stating that there is still work to do in order to ensure that an accident such as that of Sofia is avoided.