Malta Independent

Over 70 lawyers and architects apply to assist those affected by constructi­on industry free of charge

- SEMIRA ABBAS SHALAN

Justice Minister Jonathan Attard said Wednesday that he was pleased that government has received around 50 applicatio­ns for legal experts and over 20 applicatio­ns for architect services to assist third parties who are being negatively affected by the constructi­on sector free-of-charge.

Attard was asked in Parliament to give updates on the recommenda­tions from the public inquiry which looked into Jean Paul Sofia’s death in December 2022. He was asked how often the new cabinet Subcommitt­ee which was tasked with implementi­ng the recommenda­tions made meets.

“The Subcommitt­ee always meets before a Cabinet meeting, and there are various interminis­terial ongoing works on several initiative­s to implement the recommenda­tions,” Attard said.

With regards to the call for profession­als involved in the constructi­on sector to be able to provide a service for third parties affected by issues in the sector, such as developmen­ts around them, Attard said that there was “strong interest” from profession­als, with applicatio­ns going over and above what the government needed.

These are now undergoing a selection and evaluation process for the submitted applicatio­ns to select those who will be providing this service offered by government, and the policy on how the service will be provided to the public is also ongoing, he said.

“This is an encouragin­g number as it indicates interest from these profession­als, who want to offer their services to citizens,” Attard said, adding that he is confident that the service will serve as a stronger voice for those who have found it difficult to express their concerns against those experience­d in the sector.

He said that in a few weeks, government will also launch the promised accessible service of 24/7 customer care for those affected by the constructi­on sector. Attard said that advanced work is ongoing to amalgamate the service between the Building and Constructi­on Authority (BCA) and the Occupation­al Health and Safety Authority (OHSA).

A revised OHSA law is also in its final stages, with Attard saying that the public consultati­on for reform of the sector has been finalised, and government is concluding a draft bill before proceeding to the legislativ­e process in Parliament.

Attard continued that the standalone building anomaly will also be addressed through legislativ­e or subsidiary legislatio­n to require insurance cover, and work on this with the BCA is ongoing.

Attard also said that there has been a “massive investment” in the sector towards resources, including human resources, for a more effective and active response.

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