The CEO of the Building & Construction Authority Jesmond Muscat has resigned, the government announced on Tuesday morning.
In a statement, the Justice and Construction Ministry said that Minister Jonathan Attard was informed by the Chairman of the Board of the BCA that he had received the resignation letter of Jesmond Muscat from the post of Chief Executive Officer of the Authority.
“While acknowledging Muscat’s efforts in enhancing regulatory compliance, modernising the authority’s infrastructure, and implementing sector-wide reforms, Minister Attard accepted his resignation,” the ministry said in its statement.
The Ministry said that it looks forward to the appointment of a new Chief Executive “to further strengthen the Authority and continue reforming this sector in compliance with the Government’s electoral program and the recommendations of the public inquiry.”
Muscat was appointed as BCA CEO in June 2022 and was at the helm of the authority as it came under increased scrutiny after the collapse of a half-built factory in Corradino killed worker Jean Paul Sofia in December that same year.
A public inquiry exposed how due to a legal loophole the BCA had no legal remit over the site where Sofia was killed, amongst other regulatory failures across the government’s institutions.
Muscat’s BCA was tasked with leading reforms in line with the recommendations of the public inquiry, but recently there has been criticism that the authority is increasing bureaucracy and paperwork in the industry for the sake of it.
Muscat’s resignation comes only days after another construction worker – a 51-year-old Albanian national – was killed after a ceiling in a house he was carrying out works in collapsed onto him.
The incident happened in Sliema on Saturday, and Prime Minister Robert Abela on Monday said that responsibility for it lies with everybody in the industry, and that all those responsible must face the consequences without delay.
