Outdated laws have to be reviewed to stem the pressure for permits in outside development zones, according to the Malta Developers Association president.

In an interview with The Sunday Times of Malta, Sandro Chetcuti called for a reform of laws regulating the lease of land in the countryside. The injustice being created by this law was the cause behind the pressure for development permits in ODZ, Mr Chetcuti believed.

Referring to private land leased to farmer families over generations, he said: “There’s this kind of war going on involving those who inherited land over generations and paid tax and yet they can’t set foot on their property because the land has been leased to generations of farmers. The payment for the lease has never been adjusted. Whoever got a chicken still gets a chicken.

“The law states the landlord can take back that land if there’s a development permit. This is creating pressure for ODZ permits. And it isn’t the developers trying to get these permits; it’s the landowners,” Mr Chetcuti said. He also said the registry of farmers had to be overhauled because a number were registering themselves as farmers to maintain control of the land but were instead using it “for picnics”. He said this was unfair.

Last Thursday, Mr Chetcuti was re-elected as MDA president. The event, attended by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Opposition leader Simon Busuttil, was themed ‘A strong economy; a healthy environment’ because, Mr Chetcuti insisted, the sector benefits from a “clean” environment.

Watch excerpts of the interview above. Read the interview in The Sunday Times of Malta.