Although the government's newly announced scheme, granting financial assistance to property owners who carry out rehabilitation works on scheduled properties or in urban conservation areas, is a positive one, it will not solve the problem of abandoned buildings in urban centres, the Malta Developers Association said.

In a statement, the MDA hoped the Government will face this problem in a holistic manner for the country to work seriously to its resolution.

The MDA said it has been stressing for the introduction of incentives to encourage developers to invest in the rehabilitation of old homes in urban centres, including lowering tax duty on the sale of properties and the refunding of Mepa tariffs for works done in these places.

There also needs to be a revision of Mepa policies so that the process leading to the issuing of the necessary permits for rehabilitation will be less bureaucratic and with more common sense.

"It is only when the government looks at the problem from a wider perspective than that allowed by the scheme that was just announced that the country will manage to stop the damage to the environment and the country's architectural heritage that is being cause by these abandoned properties," the MDA said.

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