The President of the Malta Developers Association, Sandro Chetcuti, today outlined the proposals the MDA is putting forward to the Labour Party for consideration ahead of the general election on 3 June, 2017.
Referring to the KPMG report due to be published shortly, he said that the minimum of 30,000 people who are employed both directly, indirectly or by induced effect in the construction industry represent 17% of the gainfully employed.
In terms of the phenomenal growth of the construction industry of 40% between 2011 and 2015, this meant that whereas it contributed €830 million to the national economy in 2011, this had increased to €1.2 billion in 2015, excluding the multiplier effect, which if taken into account went up to €2.55 billion.
This was thanks to the hard work carried out continuously by the Malta Developers Association and through the continuous contact with all branches of Government. Mr Chetcuti said that four years ago the construction industry was on a cliff edge and, thanks to the communication and dialogue established, where the MDA came out with concrete proposals, it managed to achieve these positive results.
“The MDA wants to work for continuity to create more opportunities for employment and generate more work in the sector,” he said.
The MDA’s proposals are:
- Lowering capital gains tax from 8% to 5% so that the development will reach the near to zero renewable energy targets set for 2020;
- Removal of stamp duty for first time buyers, with consideration also for those who are separating or divorcing;
- Exemption from stamp duty on property acquired in Urban Conservation Areas and Gozo;
- Reform of the Land Registry Department;
- Lower fees for property owners with minor regularities who currently face the same fees to regularise their position as those with major irregularities;
- Registration and licensing of developers who are members of the MDA;
- Further representation of MDA nominees on government boards and authorities related to the construction industry;
- The creation of a Minister for the Construction Industry;
- The payment of succession duty once the property is sold not within six months of the passing away of the deceased;
- Fair compensation or aggressive incentives on scheduled properties and those of historical importance.
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, in his reply, announced that within the first few weeks of being elected, real estate agents, a section within the MDA, are to be regulated. Competitiveness Minister Emanuel Mallia has worked very hard on this legislation.
He promised to look into boosting the budget of the Property Malta Foundation and pointed out that the entire electoral manifesto of the Labour Party had been costed. “We know where the money is coming from and we know how and when we are going to be implementing the measures over a span of five years,” he affirmed.
He said none of the measures introduced by the government were aimed specifically at the construction industry but were aimed at boosting disposable income. He agreed that some of the MDA’s proposals had been incorporated in the Labour Party manifesto.
The new Labour government will be investing heavily in infrastructure. “We understand that we have to help our contractors to invest in equipment in such a way that they can compete so that this work will be kept in Malta,” he said.
Finally, he said the Individual Investor Programme, which the MDA’s members supported from the start, will be extended at the end of the current cycle and, although it is the best in the world, will be improved further together with the Association’s support.
26 May, 2017
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L-MDA tippreżenta l-proposti tagħha lill-Partit Laburista
Il-President tal-Malta Developers Association(MDA), Sandro Chetcuti, illum ħabbar il-proposti li l-MDA għamlet lill-Partit Laburista għall-konsiderazzjoni tagħha qabel l-elezzjonijiet ġenerali tat-3 ta’ Ġunju, 2017.
Irrefera għar-rapport tal-KPMG li ser jiġi ppubblikat dalwaqt u qal li mill-anqas 30,000 ruħ li huma impjegati fl-industrija tal-kostruzzjoni direttament, indirettament jew permezz tal-induced effect jirrappreżentaw 17% ta’ dawk impjegati bil-qliegħ.
Kien hemm tkabbir fenomenali ta’ 40% fl-industrija tal-kostruzzjoni bejn l-2011 u l-2015. Dan sarraf f’kontribut lejn l-ekonomija nazzjonali ta’ €830 miljun fl-2011, li żdied sa €1.2 biljun fl-2015 meta teskludi l-multiplier effect. Jekk dan jittieħed in konsiderazzjoni dan jitla’ għal €2.55 biljun.
Dan kien grazzi għax-xogħol siewi u kontinwu tal-Malta Developers Associationu permezz ta’ kuntatt kontinwu mal-oqsma kollha tal-Gvern. Is-Sur Chetcuti qal li erba’ snin ilu l-industrija tal-kostruzzjoni kienet f’xifer l-irdum u, grazzi għall-komunikazzjoni u djalogu li sar fejn l-MDA ħarġet bi proposti konkreti, irnexxielha tasal b’dawn ir-riżultati pożittivi.
“L-MDA trid taħdem għall-kontinwità biex toħloq iktar opportunitajiet ta’ impjiegi u tiġġenera iktar xogħol fis-settur,” hu qal.
Il-proposti tal-MDA huma:
- Tnaqqis fit-taxxa tal-capital gains minn 8% sa 5% sabiex l-iżvilupp jilħaq il-miri tal-enerġija rinnovabbli sas-sena 2020;
- Titneħħa t-taxxa tal-boll fuq il-first time buyers, u jingħata konsiderazzjoni għal min ikun qiegħed jissepara jew jiddivorzja;
- Eżenzjoni tat-taxxa tal-boll fuq proprjetà li tkun f’Arja ta’ Konservazzjoni Urbana (UCA) jew f’Għawdex;
- Riforma fid-Dipartiment tar-Reġistru tal-Artijiet;
- Inqas spejjeż għal sidien ta’ proprjetajiet li għandhom irregolaritajiet żgħar li bħal issa iridu jħallsu l-istess spejjeż biex jirregolarizzaw ruħhom daqs dawk li għandhom irregolaritajiet kbar;
- Reġistrazzjoniu liċenzjar ta’ żviluppaturi li huma membri tal-MDA;
- Iktar rappreżentazzjoni ta’ nies nominate mill-MDA fuq bordijiet u entitajiet tal- gvern li għandhom x’jaqsmu mal-industrija tal-kostruzzjoni;
- Jinħoloq Ministru għall-Industrija tal-Kostruzzjoni;
- Titħallas it-taxxa tas-suċċessjoni ġaladarba tinbiegħ il-proprjetà li tintiret wara li jmutu l-ġenituri mhux fi żmien sitt xhur;
- Kumpens ġust jew inċentivi aggressivi fuq proprjetà ta’ valur storiku.
Fir-risposta tiegħu, il-Prim Ministru Joseph Muscat ħabbar li fl-ewwel ġimgħat wara li jerġa’ jiġi elett, il-gvern ġdidser jirregola l-aġenti tal-proprjetà, li hi sezzjoni fi ħdan l-MDA. Il-Ministru tal-Kompetitività Emanuel Mallia ħadem bis-sħiħ fuq dawn ir-regolamenti.
Wiegħed li ser jara kif il-budget tal-Fondazzjoni Proprjetà Malta tiżdied u semma kif il-manifest elettorali kollu tal-Partit Laburista kien ikkontjat. “Nafu minn fejn ġejjin il-flus u kif u meta ser ikunu implimentati il-miżuri fuq medda ta’ ħames snin,” qal Dr Muscat.
Ma kienx hemm miżura waħda tal-gvern li kienet immirata speċifikament lejn l-industrija tal-kostruzzjoni iżda dawn kienu immirati lejn żieda fil-flus fil-but tan-nies. Qabel li kien hemm xi proposti tal-MDA li ddaħħlu fil-manifest elettorali tal-Partit Laburista.
Gvern Laburist ġdid ser investi bil-kbir fl-infrastruttura. “Nifhmu li għandna ngħinu l-kuntratturi tagħna biex jinvestu f’tagħmir biex b’hekk jistgħu jikkompetu biex dan ix-xogħol jinżamm f’Malta,” qal Dr Muscat.
Fl-aħħar qal li l-Programm ta’ Ċittadinanza bl-Investiment, li l-membri tal-MDA appoġġaw mill-bidu nett, ser jiġi estiż wara li tispiċċa ċ-ċiklu preżenti u, allavolja kien l-aqwa programm fid-dinja, xorta ser titjieb iżjed bl-appoġġ tal-Assoċjazzjoni.
26 ta’ Mejju, 2017