The Council of the Malta Developers Association was renewed with new appointments for the period 2018-2019. Two members of the executive, vice-president Euchar Vella and treasurer Paul Xuereb, have stepped aside, along with members Angelo Xuereb and Michael Bonello, to make way for new blood.
The new Council is made up of President Sandro Chetcuti, Vice-President Debbie Schembri, Secretary Michael Stivala, Treasurer Alfred Camilleri, and members Anton Camilleri, Malcolm Mallia, Pierre Galea, Denise Micallef Xuereb and Paul Attard.
Three other members were co-opted to assist the Council since the MDA now has many different sections: Douglas Salt, President of the MDA Estate Agencies Section, Melvyn Caruana and Muriel Grech.
Speaking before a packed ball room at Le Méridien St Julians Hotel and Spa, on Thursday 1 March 2018, Mr Chetcuti affirmed that the MDA, which in seven years has grown to be one of the biggest associations in the country, representing 400 direct members and also a number of affiliated sections which represent a good number of other members, has made a difference to the country’s economy.
The MDA differentiates itself because it is a policy-driven association – “we insist with all politicians to adopt policies with social and environmental aspects but that need to be doable”, he said. The MDA holds no monopoly to suggesting policies and had immediately recognised the positive impact that new policies like the Individual Investor Programme could have on the country.
“We collaborated with the government to attract enormous foreign investment. Today’s challenge is for all entrepreneurs to deliver their commitments due to a lack of workforce,” Mr Chetcuti said.
Referring to the statistic that emerged in the morning that 40% of tourists are not staying in hotels, he said that tourism and property go hand in hand. He appealed to the members to be good ambassadors of Malta, thanked the outgoing members of the Council and undertook to continue to work for the benefit of the industry with integrity.
While announcing that he does not intend to contest again for the post of President at the end of this two-year term since “it is in the association’s interest that any leader will not overstay in power”, he said, he still has the moral obligation to find the right strategy for continuity, in the industry’s best interest, before he quits.
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat paid tribute to the MDA for its landmark study on the sustainability of the construction industry and singled out Mr Chetcuti for his work in a sector that creates a lot of wealth. The study, carried out by a leading firm of independent auditors, showed that there is no property bubble.
Dr Muscat denied that his government intended to tax vacant property. He announced that a White Paper will be issued shortly that is to establish a framework for the rental market that would make sense both to landlords and tenants. “Today in the rental market we need to find a balance, to square the circle,” he said.
“I appeal to you to speak up and give your opinion so that we will have criticism from other parts where we were perhaps not so interventionist. I think it will be a strong debate, an important debate to be held.”
He also announced that a guardianship deal is to be signed in the coming weeks between the MIDI Consortium and Gzira local council together with the NGOs within itaccording to which the two sides are going to agree on the type of development that can take place on Manoel Island and the accessibility of the public.
Opposition leader Adrian Delia said several attempts had been made to set up such an association for the construction industry since 1993 and praised the President and his team for the great success that the association has achieved. He spoke in favour of long-term planning, urging more courageous steps to be taken by being revolutionary in thought, facing up to the challenges of population growth, factoring in the need for investment in areas like transport and energy.
“The Opposition pledges more than ever before to talk and listen to those directly and indirectly involved with development,” Dr Delia said.
3 March 2018