Construction industry stakeholders called for higher standards at the Planning Authority, saying buildings should contribute to the country's aesthetic rather than construction waste.
Various operators in the industry were contacted for a KPMG study on the construction industry and property market commissioned by the Malta Developers' Association.
The findings covered the year 2018 and were an update to the Construction Industry and Property Market report first published in October 2017.
In all, the construction and real estate sectors contributed around 13.5 per cent of Malta’s gross value added in 2017. The construction sector was the biggest economic multiplier.
Contractors were more environmentally conscious but the market often did not prioritise the environment, they lamented. They also noted it was a challenge to find both skilled and unskilled workers.
The property market had become more dependent on financial services and gaming, making Malta's economic attractiveness crucial, KPMG advisor David Pace said during the presentation of the results.
While there was no property bubble, there were still concerns about possible market overheating, Mr Pace said.
'Don't spit in the well you drink from,' Prime Minister warns
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat welcomed the findings, saying the study dismissed concerns of a housing bubble.
The market however, would need to regulate itself and the issue was not whether they made a quick buck or not, but rather about ensuring "stakeholders did not spit in the well they drink from".
Noting that the study found that the market had grown by 9 per cent in one year, Dr Muscat noted this was not the biggest growth sector.
There was no pumping the brakes on the economy, he warned, adding that what it needed was to remain diversified. That way, he noted, when one sector received a set-back, other sectors could make up for it.
"The only way forward is growth," he said. "We cannot be satisfied with what we have. That is a fallacy and a fairy tale," he added.
Growth was not without its problems, he noted, adding that affordability was becoming a concern. The issue of affordability was generated by the high demand was coming from a fast-growing economy - but without that economy, many other sectors would not be viable.
On quality, he stressed that this needed to percolate across all types of property, and not just high-end ones.
MDA boss urges Muscat to stay on
Malta Developers Association Sandro Chetcuti made an impassioned plea for Dr Muscat to stay on, saying the developers' lobby was "concerned about the fact he was leaving".
Dr Muscat has repeatedly said he would serve for only two terms as prime minister.
The next prime minister should ensure the work already in place by Dr Muscat would continue, Mr Chetcuti said.
Speaking on the KPMG study, Mr Chetcuti noted the construction industry was not the only reason for economic growth, which was diversified enough to be affected by multiple sectors. Everything indicates that employment is increasing to this day.
While there were concerns of oversupply, making the market unsustainable, the industry could remain on the right track if it moved carefully, he said.