Recommendations In Public Inquiry Will Be Carried Out Says PM

Feb 28 2024

Prime Minister Robert Abela announced the formation of an interministerial committee led by Glenn Micallef, Head of the Secretariat at the Office of the Prime Minister, to oversee the implementation of 39 recommendations from the Public Inquiry Board. This decision came during a press conference at Castille Palace, where Abela introduced five initiatives aimed at enhancing citizen involvement in the construction sector.

These initiatives include offering free professional assistance, such as legal and technical expertise, to citizens, and expanding the role of the Environment and Planning Commission to cover the construction sector. Abela stressed the importance of increased enforcement efforts despite prior investment, leading to the creation of a centralized enforcement division and a construction helpline for citizen complaints.

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Additional measures include the introduction of new health and safety legislation for construction sites by summer and the elimination of distinctions between standalone buildings and other structures. Abela reiterated that while the Board found no direct links between individuals, it expressed concerns regarding land allocation, prompting an audit of the allocation process. He also stated that he expected resignations from those implicated in the report by 4:30 p.m. as a demonstration of accountability.

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7,430 Dogs Microchipped In Malta Last Year

Feb 28 2024

Over the past decade, parliamentary records reveal that more than 89,000 dogs have been microchipped in compliance with the legal mandate instituted in 2012 for canines over four months old.

Microchipping, an essential measure for pet identification and retrieval, involves implanting a permanent chip beneath the skin, containing unique identification details registered in the National Microchipping Database.

The statistics indicate fluctuating trends in microchipping rates for dogs, with the highest recorded in 2021 at 11,358 and the lowest in 2014 at 5,877. However, there has been a slight decline in microchipping numbers in 2022 (8,848) and 2023 (7,430) following the peak.

While dogs are legally required to be microchipped, no such mandate exists for cats, ferrets, or other pets, despite proposals for compulsory microchipping for cats made by the Commissioner for Animal Welfare Alison Bezzina in 2021.

Bezzina argued that electronic microchipping is crucial for permanent pet identification, reducing abandonment instances, and ensuring responsible ownership.

Though the UK and various parts of Europe and Australia have introduced mandatory microchipping for cats, it remains a voluntary practice in Malta, posing challenges in tracing lost or injured felines and curbing abandonment effectively.

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Malta’s Construction Site Like ‘A Man Sick For 40 Years’

Feb 28 2024

The declaration by the Chief Executive of the Building and Construction Authority Jesmond Muscat stuck out in the public inquiry report of Jean Paul Sofia, who described Malta’s construction site like a ‘man sick for 40 years’.

Speaking in court, Jesmond Muscat described the sector as such when questioned about the current situation.

‘Apart from no entity feeling responsible with the enforcement of this case in particular, almost every entity admitted with the Board that it has a massive lack when it comes to inspectors to enforce on sites.’

The report also found that the above was said by some due to not receiving any financial aid by the Ministry for Finance – an argument denied by the same Minister.

The board is of the opinion that these reasons do not justify the situation of a lack of enforcement which still takes place today. This situation has led to numerous injuries and deaths throughout the years.

Prime Minister Robert Abela announced on social media that the public inquiry report into the death of Jean Paul Sofia has been received and that the proceeded to publish it immediately.

‘We are willing to continue reforming the construction sector and carrying out the inquiry’s recommendations’, wrote the Prime Minister.

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Jean Paul Sofia Public Inquiry Officially Published

Feb 28 2024

Prime Minister Robert Abela announced on social media that the public inquiry report into the death of Jean Paul Sofia has been received and that the proceeded to publish it immediately.

‘We are willing to continue reforming the construction sector and carrying out the inquiry’s recommendations’, wrote the Prime Minister.

The board concluded by quoting a discourse made by Harold Walker MP, who served as Secretary of State for Employment in the UK in December 1979.

“Laws alone cannot prevent death and injury at work. Whatever legislation is enacted will always be dependent for its effectiveness on the spirit, will and determination of all those responsible for its implementation – management and workers alike. It is only in this way that health and safety precautions will not become just a mere paper exercise. Today there is a new awareness of the need to diminish the grief, suffering and hardship caused by occupational accidents and diseases. The best way to achieve this is through a co-operative endeavour between management and worker. Death, injury and disease should not be part of the routine pursuit of earning a living. They will only recede into the shadows of history if there is a concerted effort to push them there.”

The statement was made during a forum organised with the British Safety Council (BSC) and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) on the five year anniversary of the enactment of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

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