A new regulatory framework will see building contractors needing a licence to operate, Robert Abela said on Sunday.  

Earlier this week, the prime minister had said that the cabinet has approved a new framework for licensing contractors. 

Speaking during a radio interview on Sunday, he observed that to date, the only thing one had to do to become a contractor was to buy equipment.

Henceforth, would-be contractors would need to follow a set of rules as laid down by their licence, and those who failed would be liable to fines, criminal charges and even licence revocation

“Anyone who adopts a cowboy attitude, knows there are consequences,” he said. 

The government has been promising a licensing regime since 2019. A similar pledge was made in January 2021.

Last November, Public Works Minister Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi said that a public consultation exercise would begin “in the coming weeks”.  It has yet to begin.  

Abela said that, for the first time, the government was introducing the concept of licensing those who carry out demolition, excavations, and construction

“The idea is not only regulation but also to raise standards. Those who do not reach the criteria for licensing means they cannot operate.”

As an example, he mentioned how last month demolition works carried out in Birkirkara caused large stones to fall on the street, something which would not be tolerated.   

The architect responsible for the project - Maria Schembri Grima -subsequently resigned from her role as the Building and Construction Authority chairperson. 

Abela said the regulations would be discussed in a public consultation but discussions could not go on for ever, he warned. 

10 years of Labour

Abela also spoke on the 10th anniversary since Labour came to power. He said that the Labour Party has excelled in ensuring that everyone was provided with the same opportunities - regardless of background and social class. 

The government had also excelled in social reforms, civil rights, providing free transport to all, and improving pensions and the infrastructure. 

"10 years ago, we had a government anchored in conservatism, a country that was stagnant and stuck because of a Nationalist government that did not want to move forward," Abela said. 

He mentioned how the government has provided free childcare, provided work benefit incentives and other incentives to push people to join the workforce. 

"The country knows of these changes, they experienced them and they know that politics on its own could not do all these things," he said. 

On the other hand, Abela said that in the past 10 years, the Opposition had learnt nothing, and had no vision for its future and that of the country.