[WATCH] Majority of MEPA reform is not yet in place, architects’ chamber president says

Chamber of Architects president Vince Cassar has stated that the reform of the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) has failed to address all the points in the reform, and has so far only focused on the procedural matters.

Interviewed by Saviour Balzan on Reporter, Cassar said that issues such as red tape and reforms focusing on protecting both the environment and the construction industry have not been addressed.

"The reform has so far focused on procedural matters: how one applies, the process of permits and how they are approved. However, there are other several policy issues which need to be changed. There is an urgent need for them to be changed," Cassar said.

Cassar added that the chamber has already started discussing these changes with MEPA. He said that a number of policies are now outdated.

"The country is changing. Technology is improving. These changes must be tackled as well if MEPA wants its reform to truly work out."

The MEPA reform was approved by Parliament in March 2010 and followed a wide-ranging consultation process with all stakeholders and the public.

The reform focuses on the Planning Authority to become better organized, less bureaucratic and more efficient. It also highlights the need for it to be more accountable to the public.

A milestone in the MEPA reform was for standard planning applications to be processed and determined within 12 weeks. In the case of 'complex' applications, the time period would be extended to 26 weeks.

To protect the environment, the reform forces the authority to try and balance the demands of environmentalists with those of the construction industry. One of these, is for MEPA to adopt a zero tolerance policy towards applications for projects outsides developments zone (ODZ).

But the reform had also come at a financial cost.

The MEPA reform had cost the taxpayer €1.3 million a year in salaries, marking an increase in salaries by €103,163 every four weeks.

A major part of the expense was incurred to eliminate the conflict of interests of part time architects serving as board members who often heard cases of potential, past or present clients.  This led to various scandals involving DCC board member. 

The appointment of full time board members was meant to eliminate this abuse.

Reporter is aired from Monday to Friday on Favourite Channel at 7:45pm