Robert Abela on Sunday promised the government will swiftly carry out the necessary reforms in the construction sector.
Speaking during a political activity, the prime minister said years of inaction need to be remedied in a short period.
This week, a public inquiry ruled that 20-year-old construction worker Jean Paul Sofia died in an essentially unregulated construction site and the state must bear responsibility for that.
Abela said the government will strengthen enforcement of the sector and ensure that the various regulatory bodies work in synergy.
“The sector itself needs to participate in these reforms, from architects downwards,” Abela said.
Abela said since 2002, 81 people have fallen victim to construction incidents.
The prime minister said people deserve to live “with serenity” in their own homes, and workers should be able to ply their trade without fearing for their lives.
He announced plans for a pool of architects and lawyers to be engaged by the government to advise those concerned about construction near their homes.
A call for applications for this service will be issued in the coming week, Abela said.
The prime minister took aim at past PN governments for failing to regulate the sector.
He said a 2009 court judgement into a fatal St Paul’s Bay building collapse had highlighted the need to introduce licensing in the construction sector.
Abela said it took a Labour government to ensure such a licensing regime was implemented.
According to new rules published last July, contractors had until the end of October to apply for a licence. By January 2025, all contractors will need a licence to be able to build, demolish and excavate buildings.
Pledges action on processions
During his speech, Abela responded to concerns about how tables and chairs encroaching on public spaces could disrupt traditional Easter processions.
Times of Malta reported last month how Valletta residents raised concerns about the marring of the religious traditions, which prompted a local council meeting and a petition to ‘Safeguard Valletta’s Culture and Traditions During Holy Week Celebrations’.
Abela said on Sunday that he had given “instructions” that such processions should take place without any obstructions.