Developers Association asks Auditor General to look into revised Mepa tariffs

In a letter signed by MDA President Michael Falzon, it was explained that the association has "reason to believe that the new Mepa tariff applicable since July was not based on the cost incurred by Mepa for the processing of development permits, even though these tariffs are a charge for the processing of these applications."

He added that although Mepa is one institution with separate directorates for its planning and environmental activities, "it publishes a unified account covering all of its activities, rather than split by operational function."

Falzon stressed that the MDA "firmly believes that applicants for development should be charged for the costs actually incurred in the processing of these permits. Moreover, it needs to be satisfied that processing of these permits is being done by Mepa in an efficient manner that ensures value for their money."

In his letter to the Auditor General, the President of the Developers Association stressed that "in the circumstances, the MDA feels that it is in the public interest for the National Audit Office to conduct an audit of Mepa practices to establish, the real cost of processing development permit applications and how this compares with the new tariff structures, and to ensure checks that should be in place to ensure that development permit processing is carried out efficiently."