The Malta Developers Association (MDA) understands the unavoidable inconvenience to the public caused by ongoing construction projects, particularly excavation and demolition. It is willing to discuss with the authorities a temporary reduction in the working hours of the construction industry during these challenging times caused by the Covid-19 emergency. The MDA will have no difficulty to agree to a new temporary working time framework whilst also ensuring that the 16,000 employees involved directly in the industry and their families are duly compensated for the loss in their income through public schemes identical to those given to other industries and businesses.
The MDA notes that currently there are two different and conflicting laws dictating the time when certain construction works can commence.
Although the direction given by the authorities to the industry during these past years was always that works can only start at 7am, the MDA, on its own initiative, is directing its members to abide by the most recent of the two conflicting laws, which states that works which create noise can only start after 8am. This initiative should help in reducing the inconvenience to neighbouring residents during sensitive hours.
During the past days, the MDA has also received reports that some individuals, mostly not MDA members, were commencing excavation and demolition works much earlier that the time permitted by law, in some instances as early as 5am.
The MDA condemns these individuals and calls on the authorities and the government to strictly enforce the rules.
MDA is also proposing that, in order of holding everyone to account and in view of already stringent policing resources, the government directs local councils and community officers to enforce the construction laws and ensure that they are fully abided to by everyone with no distinction.