The Malta Developers Association Council held its first official meeting with the newly appointed Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for the Environment, Dr Franco Mercieca, at the House of Representatives, Valletta, last Monday.
Dr Mercieca said his number one duty was to protect the environment without hindering progress. He quoted Prime Minister Joseph Muscat: “The private sector must be motivated to enable the economy to move forward.” The economic growth figures of 6.3% are the fruit of government’s pro-business attitude, he said, adding that it is important that the progress and wealth generated should continue to be perpetuated.
“In terms of progress there is still a lot that needs to be done,” Dr Mercieca said. “I am convinced that you were already part of the success and the wealth in the economy that has been generated.”
The environment needed to be protected as much as possible because Malta is a small country, the second most densely populated in Europe. “It is important that we act sensibly and cautiously with everyone’s consent. Our children and those children who are yet to be born will in future judge us so we have the responsibility to protect this sector.”
In his reply, MDA President Sandro Chetcuti said that without a healthy environment the economy cannot improve and grow. Only in that way could the investment of the MDA’s 400 members be secure to the benefit of those who spent hundreds of thousands of euros either for their first home or to the foreigners seeking to establish their home in our country.
“When there is no proper planning, leading to over-supply and haphazard development in a locality, this causes irreparable damage to us investors and those we represent,” he said. He pointed out that although the MDA is not an environment NGO, as a registered NGO it has an interest in the environment just as much as those who state they have the environment at heart. “We very much wish that you will consult us and that we will be given an equal voice to all those environmental NGOs so that this committee can weigh everything in a serene way when decisions are being taken.”
He appealed for a level playing field. “Just because the government is pro business, it does not mean that we do what we want. All we wish from any government is to be allowed to work. Do not create obstacles. Do not move the goalposts during the game. Tell us the rules and parameters and we will obey the law. Whoever breaks the law or is allowed to break the law will be causing damage to all our members and we oppose this,” Mr Chetcuti said.
21 April, 2016
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L-MDA tappoġġa l-linja tal-Kumitat tal-Ambjent
Il-Kunsill tal-Malta Developers Association (MDA) kellu l-ewwel laqgħa uffiċjali maċ-Ċermen tal-Kumitat tal-Parlament għall-Ambjent, Dr Franco Mercieca, fil-Kamra tar-Rappreżentanti, il-Belt, nhar it-Tnejn li għadda.
Dr Mercieca qal li d-dover ewlieni tiegħu hu li jipproteġi l-ambjent mingħajr ma jxekkel il-progress. Ikkwota l-Prim Ministru Joseph Muscat: “Is-settur privat għandu jiġi motivat biex l-ekonomiji timxi ’l quddiem.” Il-figuri ta’ tkabbir ta’ 6.3% tal-ekonomija kien il-frott tal-attitudni pro Business tal-gvern u żied jgħid li importanti li l-progress u l-ġid iġġenerat ikompli joktru.
“F’termini ta’ progress, għad hemm ħafna li jrid isir,” Dr Mercieca qal. “Jien konvint li intkom diġà parti mis-suċċess u l-ġid tal-ekonomija li ġie ġġenerat.”
Hemm bżonn li l-ambjent jiġi protett kemm jista’ jkun għax Malta hu pajjiż żgħir, it-tieni pajjiż bl-iktar densità fl-Ewropa, żied jgħid Dr Mercieca: “Importanti li dak li nagħmlu nagħmluh bis-sens, bil-galbu, b’kunsens ma’ kulħadd. It-tfal tagħna u dawk it-tfal li għad iridu jitwieldu jridu jiġġudikawna u allura għandna r-responsabiltà li nipproteġu dan is-settur.”
Fl-intervent tiegħu, il-President tal-MDA Sandro Chetcuti, qal li mingħajr ambjent b’saħħtu, l-ekonomija ma tistax tmur il-quddiem u tikber. B’dan il-mod biss jista’ jiġi assigurat l-investiment tal-400 membru tal-MDA biex ikun ta’ benefiċċju għal dawk li jonfqu mijiet ta’ eluf ta’ euro fl-ewwel dar tagħhom jew għall-barranin li jfittxu jixtru dar tagħhom f’pajjiżna.
“Meta ma jkunx hemm ippjanar sew, u b’hekk ikun hemm over-supply u żvilupp bl-addoċċ f’lokalità, ikun hemm ħsara irreparabbli għal aħna l-investituri u dawk li nirrapprezentaw,” qal is-Sur Chetcuti. Semma li allavolja l-MDA mhix NGO ambjentali, bħala NGO rreġistrata għanda interess fl-ambjent daqs dawk li jgħidu li l-iżjed għandhom għal qalbhom l-ambjent. “Nixtiequ ħafna li tikkonsulta magħna u li ningħataw vuċi daqs NGOs kollha ambjentali biex dan il-kumitat ikun jista’ jgħarbel kollox b’mod seren meta jieħu d-deċiżjonijiet.”
Is-Sur Chetcuti appella biex ikun hemm level playing field. “Allavolja l-gvern hu pro-Business dan ma jfissirx li nagħmlu li rridu. Kull ma nixtiequ mill-gvern hu li jħallina naħdmu. Tfixkluniex. Tmexxux il-lasti waqt il-logħba. Għidulna r-regoli u l-parametri u aħna nobdu l-liġijiet. Min jikser il-liġi jew jitħalla jikser il-liġi qiegħed jagħmel ħsara lill-membri tagħna kollha u aħna kontriha,” qal is-Sur Chetcuti.
21 ta’ April, 2016