The citizen has given up trying to approach Mepa - developers
The Malta Developers Association (MDA) said today it was surprised that Mepa Chairman Austin Walker has claimed that there is an increased efficiency in the processing of development permits.
"He has arrived at this conclusion by ignoring the fact that the number of development applications submitted to Mepa this year is only a fraction of the number in previous years and that, moreover, Mepa’s making requests from applicants at pre-submission stage has simply shifted the time for the collection of this information to this stage when applications are still not registered and not considered as submitted by Mepa."
"He has also ignored that the current economic climate in the property market has led to a large decrease in applications for substantial developments. The situation has deteriorated so much that, unfortunately, the citizen has given up trying to approach Mepa," the association added.
It acknowledged that in its regular meetings with Mr Walker and Mepa officials, Mepa had shown that it was ready to consider revising certain procedures to improve its efficiency but, the association said, it then dragged its feet before putting these changes into practice.
Moreover the decision that Government would be being invoiced by Mepa for services it provided was an admission of the total failure of the Mepa reform that was heralded with the announcement that Mepa was going to be self-sufficient and would no longer need a government subvention.
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Ms.D. Galea
Dec 20th 2011, 16:24
Since when have the words "developer" become synonymous with "The Citizen"? When will it metamorphosize into "The People"?
Christian Sciberras
Dec 21st 2011, 22:55
Uhm, since "the citizen" decide to build on a piece of land hence getting the temporary name of "developer"??
Jonathan Camilleri
Dec 20th 2011, 15:52
A professional architect's representative has informally advertised that amongst the services that the firm provides, is advocating against the purported inefficient bureaucratic structure created by MEPA. This is similar to visiting Mater Dei, and, being prompted with a professor marketing his private services as a faster alternative to the lengthy waiting lists that are directly caused by the mismanagement of the process.
Indeed, whilst bureaucracy might be a necessary evil, it is fuelling business as an antagonist service and an alternative private practice, that further contributes to the discrimination in services that the wealthier classes can access as opposed to the lower classes who are living in poverty.
Mr rolan borg
Dec 20th 2011, 10:52
kulhadd qazzez l baqra bil prezzijiet! zghazagh li jirdu jahdmu sa 60 sena u fuqhom biex jifdu l loan tal bank. vergogna. toqob t appartamenti 'l fuq minn mitt elf ewro. kullimkien sar ghetto
j brincat
Dec 20th 2011, 09:54
@Mark. Galea
"you are right on this one, j brincat"
Obviously that I am right, not only on this one but on many others.
Hee! hee!
(jb)
Nick Cassar
Dec 20th 2011, 09:17
I think in Malta need a quick change for new ideas.... people are not treated very well.... those who have power are ''using'' normal hard workers citizens that for me is ridicules! We are living in a world of dreams (government believes that people are stupid)
David Pace
Dec 20th 2011, 09:04
I'm sure Mr. Bone is a good friend of Mr. Walker because nothing can convince me that MEPA has actually been the bane of the Maltese environment; and Mr. Walker described himself as a sports car of which we're seeing very little evidence of.
Lawrence Fenech
Dec 20th 2011, 08:36
Gonz kull fejn qed iddahhal idejk kollox qed imurlek zmerc, hlief il-500 Euro fil-gimgha li hadd int u shabek mit-2008 minn wara daharna. Ara il-1.16 dawk kienu fil-berah.
George Azzopardi
Dec 20th 2011, 08:24
Success ghamel Ginzi ehh!!!
pat muscat
Dec 20th 2011, 07:31
An other reform headed by Dr Lawrence Gonzi bites the dust; next on the line is the Bus counter reform!
"Bejn il-poroli (fil-vojt) u l-fatti hemm il-bahar jikkombatti'!
j brincat
Dec 20th 2011, 03:23
MEPA, is another (like ARMS, MRA, etc.) of the government's white elephants.
(jb)
Mark. Galea
Dec 20th 2011, 08:49
you are right on this one, j brincat.
We need the old labour method to solve the issues ... we need a minister to give building permits. PL should dismantle Mepa and make a ministery, headed preferably by a minister from the south.
Paul Micallef
Dec 20th 2011, 11:35
20 sena Mark, TAL PN WEGHTTU GENNA F-LART, kellhom minn fejn jitghalmu tal NP, u ha nejdlek ta ara tahseb li fdin, id DINJA ma ghawx KORRUZJONI TA.
Lino Busuttil
Dec 19th 2011, 22:58
No one likes MEPA but to put the word "citezen" when referring to "developers" in this header one is simply trying to hide the conflict of ideas between the many speculators and the real citizen trying to cope with the inconvenience of constructon. Not to mention the greed of so many that for a few thousands they are ready to build over Buskett if MEPA would allow it!. They simply do not care about our countryside and how Malta would look with all those ugly flats cropping up everywhere.
Ivan Calleja
Dec 19th 2011, 22:43
Now it's your turn MDA....after you raped these beautiful Islands with concrete and ugly flats!! The less you talk the better!! No more development please!!
Lawrence Fenech
Dec 20th 2011, 08:37
@Calleja.
You are so right, I wonder if Gonzi his friends and MEPA people have been surrounded by 5 storey flats.
Ms.D. Galea
Dec 19th 2011, 22:16
What are developers complaining about actually? They are allowed to make hell out of the lives of innocent third parties who invariably have to resort to expensive court action when their own properties are damaged by cowboy developers next door. To add insult to injury , the courts then take years to pass judgement on such cases.
Anton Vella
Dec 19th 2011, 22:02
@martin chetcuti
Mr. Chetcuti, if you are so confident, I have a few properties for sale, come and see them give them a price yourself and sell them. And you'd be my hero!
Tonio Bone
Dec 19th 2011, 20:33
The MDA has absolutely nothing to complain about. They have milked the industry and the market to exhaustion, apart from turning our country into a permanent contruction site.
They have made bucketloads of money, if the market has dried up, do what any good businessman would do: DIVERSIFY!
Kevin gauci
Dec 19th 2011, 19:59
Nixtieq nghid proset l mepa ghal lefficenza u lugwaljanza, mela jien applikajt fi 2009 u lpermess ghadda xaghrejn ilu u ghax sabuli lkamra tal bejt 6 pulzieri aktar gholja rrid nwaqqa u nirranga bmulta ta €735 u garanzija ta €3000 listess bhal tal MITA applikazjoni tghaddi fi zmien qasir u wara li sar xoghol bmulta mizera u jibqa kollox kif inhu.
Mr Lawrence Mifsud
Dec 19th 2011, 19:12
Nero plays the harp, while Rome burns!
Victor Vella
Dec 19th 2011, 18:45
Yes true Mr Falzon, the citizen has given up trying,take me for example, two developers built 4 storey high on both sides of my two storey house, one of them did more then 9000 euros damage to my house, both blocks are still empty while I cannot utilize my roof top to install a solar water heater or solar panels, and it was MEPA who approved these developments so that while the owners make a profit I pay more electricity.
Carmel Debono
Dec 19th 2011, 17:56
so much for Austin Martin err sorry Walkers unsurpassed performance!
J. Debono
Dec 19th 2011, 18:51
Nobody is applying any more at MEPA, because they are not selling! We have more than 50,000 empty properties.
Albert Bezzina
Dec 19th 2011, 19:30
@J Debono
50,000 vacant dwellings were present around 5 years ago. Since than the amount has passed the 75,000 mark as Mr Walkers himself had declared a year ago!
martin chetcuti
Dec 19th 2011, 20:06
@Albert Bezzina
Good priced property sells and continue to sell no matter how many vacant property be 75000 or 100000.
Tonio Bone
Dec 19th 2011, 20:31
Mr Debono, you do not know Austin Walker if not from what you read on the papers. MEPA was a can of worms before he was brought over. He's had a fulfilling career and probably accepted the role only because the Prime Minister asked him to.
Taking over and changing culture in an entity that has been in the limelight for all the wrong reasons is no mean feat. The problems are well rooted but I have no doubt about his integrity or that he is doing his job to be best of his ability.