National Building Council congratulates Johann Buttigieg for appointment as PA CEO

The National Building Council (NBC) has congratulated Johann Buttigieg on being reinstated at the Planning Authority (PA) as CEO, six years after his exit.  

News of the appointment was revealed by newspaper Il-Mument on Sunday and confirmed by Times of Malta on Tuesday (today) and while the National Building Council acknowledged the appointment, no official statement was drawn up by the Government, despite being an official Governmental appointment.

The council expects to begin holding talks with Mr Buttigieg to start addressing the problems faced by the built environment, and “the grave inefficiencies that are encumbering the authority itself.”

Among the issues that need to be addressed with urgency, the NBC emphasised on the “ever-elusive balance” between economic needs and social, environmental, and cultural development through the protection of the natural and cultural heritage, and the focus on public space and quality of life.

Reform of planning policies, including the local plans and DC15, to achieve better design outcomes and more sustainable development must be at the centre of the authority’s priorities in the year ahead, stated the council.

Additionally, it stated, planning processes must also undergo major reform “to minimise delays and unnecessary bureaucracy which only adds to the problem of housing affordability, and procedural abuse and inconsistencies.”

“The various recent Court of Appeal judgments on various planning applications are a clear indication that change within the authority is necessary to ensure that decisions are taken in a fair manner, consistent with policy and law,” NBC highlighted.

Furthermore, the council said that it will remain committed to collaborating closely with the PA to ensure that these initiatives are implemented effectively.

“We firmly believe that by building on the foundations laid by the outgoing CEO Oliver Magro, and addressing emerging challenges, Malta can achieve its goals of sustainable growth while maintaining a high standard of service for all stakeholders,” the council concluded.

Who’s Johann Buttigieg?

From the start of his journey at the PA to the very end, and even after, Mr Buttigieg’s career has been marred with controversy.

His initial appointment as Executive Chairman was previously questioned, as he was promoted from case officer to the new role in a few short months.

During his time as CEO, he was accused of conflict of interest over the National Aquarium project and faced scrutiny over his salary, which ammounted to €100,000 yearly.

In 2018, Mr Buttigieg was once again at the centre of controversy after approving the payment of €8,750 to fly a PA board member from Sicily and back on a private jet, simply to vote on db Group’s Pembroke project.

In 2019 he stepped down from the role and moved to the tourism authority where he handed former Minister Konrad Mizzi an €80,000 consultancy contract, just two weeks after stepping down from his role during one of the most intense crisis in Malta’s recent political history. The contract was then terminated by then Minister Julia Farrugia.

He stepped down as MTA CEO in 2022 after an agreement was reached.