The recently announced code of ethics for developers has been welcomed as a step forward by a number of developers.
Introduced by the Malta Developers Association for its members, the code of ethics lays down a number of basic principles ranging from basic honesty and integrity to health and safety considerations.
It tackles the way clients are dealt with and requires members to adhere to all their respective financial and legal obligations to their clients and suppliers.
The MDA, set up in September as a collective body for developers, has about 148 members, which make up about 75 per cent of developers. Its president is former tourism minister Michael Falzon.
Developers speaking to The Times said the code was generally positive.
Paul Vella, director of Ballut Blocks, described it as good: “Most of these are things which we as a company have been implementing for a long time. Our sector needs to be cleaned up from the cowboys who are giving a bad name to the industry,” Mr Vella said, adding that the code would bring about better standards in the industry.
Paul Attard, of Gap Development Ltd, said the code of ethics was positive and that for him there was nothing new to the way he worked.
Euchar Vella, director of Karkanja Ltd, was one of the team that had helped draft the code.
“There are some developers who will find it difficult to adapt but we’re already in a situation where things are changing. All developers were notified of this before joining the association, so there should have been no surprises,” Mr Vella said.
Asked why the code of ethics had to start off with something as basic as honesty, Mr Vella said there were some agents and developers who had a reputation for not saying everything – for example that the buyer had a right to his own notary – things like that.
Joe Schranz, a developer who does not form part of the organisation, said he was not approached to join.
However, he welcomed the code of ethics.
He expressed his doubts whether expulsion from the association was enough of a deterrent, especially since some big names in development were conspicuously absent from the members’ list, and said there had to be stronger and evenly applied enforcement by the powers that be.