The head of the Malta Developers’ Association acknowledged that some parts of society were being left behind as the country prospered but insisted that not all the cases were genuine.

“The MDA wants to come out with constructive, concrete proposals... Whining should be left to the cats,” Sandro Chetcuti said during a meeting with Opposition leader Adrian Delia.

“Some are genuine cases and these should be addressed, but others need to be motivated. If we are scared to move forward because a few will be left behind, the whole country will be left behind.”

Presenting the association’s wish list for the forthcoming Budget, he said the worst possible thing would be for the economy to slow down: “Let's keep the momentum. That doesn't mean we want everything to go through. We need a long-term plan for the beautification of the country.”

The association presented proposals for solving the rising rents which were unaffordable to some sectors of society. One was through incentives for private landlords to provide properties at affordable rents - around €400 to €500 - for guaranteed five year periods. 

One of the main thrusts of the proposals was for the “beautification” of the country.

Dr Delia acknowledged the importance of the property sector, as it had such a wide impact. He said, though, that there needed to be a fundamental shift in relationship between development and environment.

“The environment should not be a harness or hurdle but an economic sector in itself. Developers should be pioneers in this field: we need to explore ways of being more sustainable in the materials and construction methods we use,” he said.