Construction authority denies claims building codes have been shelved

The Building and Construction Authority has denied claims that building codes have been shelved.

The BCA said in a statement that work on new regulation is underway, and is currently consulting with a number of stakeholders, including the Chamber of Architects.

Claims that the codes where shelved by the BCA were made by Perit Martin Debono who had been a technical advisor to the Building Industry Consultative Council (BICC) in 2013. He was testifying in the public inquiry set up in the wake of the death of construction worker Jean Paul Sofia.

He claimed codes which had been ready for over four years had vanished after the last general election.

“Recently, there has been a strong commitment to implementing extensive reforms, including the Contractor's License and the continuation of the Quintano Report's implementation. This strengthening of regulations in this sector aims to increase responsibility, integrity, and higher quality in the construction sector,” the BCA said.

The BCA also said in a statement that around 2,300 contractors have applied for a licence from the authority.

Contractors have until the end of October to apply for one. By January 2025 all contractors will need a licence to build, demolish, and excavate buildings to operate.

Further information on the licencing can be obtained on tel: 2095 5000, 2095 5555 jew 8004 9000 or e-mail.