I refer to the editorial on October 9 entitled ‘Construction industry cowboys’. This editorial expressed some interesting and valid points, while some observations need clarification.

Nearly four years ago, I had taken a bold personal decision to prioritise my actions towards the areas of climate change, environmental action and economic transformation by moving away from my profession as an architect. I did this in order to seek alignment with personal values and to reassure that my actions and contributions in the various roles of responsibilities, I held or hold, are honest, objective, credible and professional. 

I try, as best I can, to pledge proposals of transformation that are based on true and valuable experiences.  My professional experiences helped me learn, understand and be sensitive to where our native building industry was and is short. It is comparative industry parallels in developed and less-developed parts of the world that inspire me to identify areas of our local building industry that require development, improvement, or surgery. 

In being offered roles as chair of the OHSA and director of the BCA, my mission (and those many I collaborate with) is to try to influence change through positive and timely action. This is not easy and much needs to be done to the building industry if we aspire to produce a quality building and infrastructure inventory that the Maltese and their guests deserve. 

I have been quoted as saying that our building industry is at least 20 years lagging behind the average European jurisdiction.  This is a plain fact. Unless we realise this, we will struggle and continue to fail. As we help authorities to develop, they must also bark and bite and must certainly be seen to be doing so fairly and consistently.

Let us be honest, the OHSAs and BCAs in many other countries have long been established and regulate rigorously with impact.  While we struggle to appreciate that we need to reinforce our BCA with strong resolve to lead the transformation this industry truly needs, we need not reinvent the wheel. 

All we have to do is be inspired, influenced and, possibly, guided by best-practices in the EU and other parts of the world in order to make this evolution an efficient and successful one. We really need to accelerate our actions with measurable milestones and targets and we should not entertain any pushback.

The editorial justifiably quoted me as referring to industry cowboys and interpreted me as limiting myself to just ‘contractors’.  While the editorial is justified in disagreeing with this limitation, the truth of the matter is that the local building industry requires a serious and credible dose of detailed and professional upgrading, through regulation and enforcement. This should be supported by an effective sensitisation campaign accompanied by mandatory reskilling and upskilling of our workforce. 

While the editorial was extracting its interpretation from my contribution to the current Jean Paul Sofia public inquiry, when asked specifically in relation to the current licensing of ‘contractors’, I completely agree with the editorial that this overall upgrade of values, integrity, honesty and accountability needs to transcend all duty holders and industry players, including architects, engineers, project managers, H&S officers, contractors, developers, real estate agents, etc.  

All the industry needs to stand up and be counted and all cowboy actors (not just contractors) need to be accountable to each other, the public and to future generations.

All cowboy actors (not just contractors) need to be accountable to each other, the public and to future generations- David Xuereb

No one should be spared being named-and-shamed and everyone should be in our cross hairs.

Why are projects, I ask, normally an end in themselves, without much consideration to the needs of customers, users and the public?

Why is it that a young couple, or any property purchaser, who invest in what is, and probably will be, the most significant investment in one’s life, does not expect a building manual containing all that detail and information that explain the tangible and measurable quality of their investment, that is not limited to just area and types of finish? 

Why should the industry also not offer qualitative information on all matters related to energy efficiency, resource performance, comfort levels, maintenance plans, etc?

If we expect this from any appliance we purchase for our home, why should we not expect the same from the infrastructure that houses them? This is ridiculous.

We need not harbour into complicated, philosophical and economic melodies for us to realise that the writing is on the wall.

Internationally recognisable, tried-and-tested (therefore valuable) standards exist and, if adopted in Malta too, will impose a radical change to the way industry operators conduct themselves, to the respect they offer to all parties, to the appearance, safety and quality management of construction sites, to the environmental and quality performance of the end product and to the well-being of owners, tenants and the public.

Now this is what can be claimed to be an aspired ambition that may drive measurable objectives, which will provide value to investors, respect to people and drives quality inventory this country yearns for.

The direction is clear. We should not be confused. We have a lot to catch up on and no time and resources to waste.

This is a must for a building industry that wishes to remain healthy, respected and sustainable while contributing to the long-term ambitions of the country. 

David Xuereb

This is the time for regeneration.

It is also an opportunity to correct the building industry’s reputation, celebrate top performance while unashamedly naming and expelling rouge actors.

David Xuereb is chairman of the OHSA and director of the Building and Construction Authority.