The Malta Federation of Industry, which represents the majority of road contractors in Malta, has been holding meetings with Urban Development and Roads Minister Jesmond Mugliett to discuss a new format in the issuing and allocation of tenders for road works.
The idea is to introduce a period contract that will be valid for two years. This should reduce bureaucracy and the need to issue a tender for each new contract of work. It would also eliminate unjustified price-cutting that could lead to an inferior quality of work. On the other hand, the proposed system should lead to a more transparent approach and a better distribution of contracts among the contractors.
Points raised during the discussions between the Minister and the FOI included aspects on price, contract conditions and contract allocation methodology.