A register of developers working in Malta will soon be set up, and the construction lobby wants to manage it.

Malta Developers’ Association president Sandro Chetcuti said work was under way on the finalisation of a register of “approved” developers and contractors, and that this would most likely be overseen by the MDA.

“We have been working with the authorities on this for a while now, and the idea is that all those who want to work in this industry should be registered to avoid cowboys giving everyone else a bad name,” Mr Chetcuti said.

Mr Chetcuti added that around 400 developers who were also members of the MDA would be on the register, along with hundreds more contractors.

Mr Chetcuti said he was in discussions with the Building Regulations Office, and the Building Industry Consultative Council, over the possibility of the MDA managing the register, and added that they were open to the idea. Details of how the register would work were also being hashed out, but it was Mr Chetcuti’s opinion that those not registered should not be able to operate in the industry.

“We need to have control over professionals to avoid unfortunate incidents and abuse,” he said.

The dangers that can be introduced by unscrupulous developers was cast in the national spotlight this year following a series of dangerous incidents at construction sites.

Back in September the Times of Malta reported on a number of roofs that caved in after cranes dropped loads of bricks on neighbouring buildings during construction works.

In one incident, in Sliema, an elderly woman barely escaped with her life when her bedroom roof collapsed.

The cause was dangerous construction works on a nearby property.

Meanwhile, Mr Chetcuti said the MDA was also broadening its operations. The lobby group recently branched out to include real estate agents.

The same is true for thousands of landlords, whom the association is also planning to represent following recent amendments to its organisational structure.

“We have a new section, which incorporates nearly all the estate agencies on the island. We are looking at the whole industry,” Mr Chetcuti.

In fact, the MDA president said that he thought it could be time to change the lobby’s name from “Malta Developers’” to “Malta Development” Association.