The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) organised an award activity during which the contribution of its employees was acknowledged. During this evening, Minister for Justice and Reform of the Construction sector Dr Jonathan Attard reiterated that the BCA is continuing to be strengthened not only in its size and resources, but also in its mission and vision to be a serious, credible and citizen-friendly authority.
Minister Attard thanked all those who have been recognised for their work, as well as all the Authority’s staff for their commitment to improve the quality of the public service. He stressed that the success of the BCA is the result of courageous decisions, continued investment, and collective commitment.
In recent years of intensive reforms, the Minister explained that not only was a change in the law being built, but also a change in the mentality of the industry, in order to create a new culture of responsibility and higher standards. He also reminded those present of the operation in Paceville, as an example of how the Authority can work seriously and efficiently when needed to protect the health and life of citizens.
During his speech, the Minister reiterated the importance of continuous training of construction workers. He mentioned the Diploma in Construction Management with the University of Malta as an example of investment in the skills of its workers, and while noting the interest shown by some, he urged the workers to take this step.
He referred to the schemes issued in recent months by the Authority and announced that during the coming year new schemes will be introduced, which will further strengthen the Government’s commitment towards sustainability and efficiency, and therefore the Minister reiterated the importance of maintaining and strengthening people’s trust in the Authority.
The CEO of the BCA, Architect Roderick Bonnici, spoke about how the Authority is undergoing a digital reform, where this year the Authority launched a programme of digitization of the Authority’s systems and documents including that of the site responsibility form, which is a common form used by architects.
“This year has been impactful on the industry, through the licensing of contractors and masons, and we will continue to build on these successes during next year. In fact, our aim is for every worker in the industry to have the necessary knowledge. This year we focused on strengthening the education sector, as next year we will be running the skill cards process,” said Architect Bonnici.
He concluded by saying that in parallel with the implementation of skill cards, work will continue on the first national building and construction code which should serve as a guideline and eventually laws for all operators in the construction sector.
The Minister thanked the BCA Board led by Architect Simon Saliba, Chief Executive Architect Roderick Bonnici and the entire Administration team for their relentless work. He expressed his thanks to the Permanent Secretary, Mr Johann Galea, for his contribution to the discussions on workers’ working conditions.