Licencing contractors

On the 18th of July 2023, the legal notice on contractor licencing went into effect. Every contractor who works in demolition, excavation, or building will be required to apply for a licence with the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) as a result of this legal notice.

Contractors who apply during this time can continue to operate while their application is reviewed by the Licensing Committee. Those who do not apply by the end of October 2023 will be barred from carrying out demolition, excavation, and building works, according to a press conference. And anyone who applies for the licence after the 1st of November 2023, will have to wait for the Licencing Committee to issue a provisional approval of his application before being able to operate until the licence is issued.
The licencing committee must grant provisional approval within 60 days of receiving the application.

Until the application is evaluated, each contractor must adhere to all legal obligations, including ensuring that all work adheres to the practices, guidelines, and rules applicable to the services requested under the licence.

Contractors must follow any direction issued by the architect or any other person responsible under the law and any conditions, method statements, and requirements related to building and construction imposed by any regulatory entity.

Contractors who apply for the licence must ensure that any work they do is covered by a valid insurance policy that covers any loss or damage that any person may incur as a result of any act or omission on the part of the licenced contractor or workers working under his supervision, as well as damages to the workplace, including injuries sustained by any employee.

The legal notice establishes a schedule of penalties that contractors who work without a licence, suspended licence, or violating licence conditions may face. The penalties range from imprisonment for a maximum of six months to administrative penalties of up to €50,000 and fines of up to €5,000 per day.

Original article to be found on BCA’s website.