La Mendola “We are satisfied with the improvements introduced to the Contract Code by regional law n°12 of last 12 October 2023. We appreciated the work carried out, not only by the Regional Government, by the Councilor for the branch Alessandro Aricò and by the Regional Technical Department directed by ‘Eng. Duilio Alongi, but also by the parliamentarians who signed the amendments proposed by the technical professions and by a responsible and constructive opposition who voted for the law, introducing changes that have further improved its contents”.
Great public participation at the conference “The Code of Public Contracts in Sicily”, organized by the Order of Architects of Agrigento and the well-known network lavoropubblici.it, with the collaboration of the Fondazione Architetti nel Mediterraneo and the Regional Council of the Orders of Architects of Sicily .
The event, coordinated by the engineer Gianluca Oreto, director of workspubblici.it, took place yesterday afternoon, in a packed conference room of the Dioscuri Bay Palace hotel in San Leone.
After the greetings from the authorities, the following spoke: the lawyer Gaetano Armao and the architects Rino La Mendola, Marco Montalbano and Alfonso Cimino who described the main innovations introduced by the new regulatory framework, with particular reference to the Architecture and Engineering services, the design digital (BIM), management and testing of the works.
“Regional law 12 – states the president of the Order, Rino La Mendola – has introduced precious new rules in Sicily to open the public works market to young people, to medium-small professional structures and to talented professionals and to simplify the execution process of public works by offering contracting authorities effective tools to access PNRR funds and financial flows from community programming”.
Rules useful for the simplification of “public decisions in the sector of infrastructure, services and supplies of the public administration – explains the lawyer Gaetano Armao – Unfortunately, the 2016-2018 national and regional legislation has introduced cumbersome, complicated and difficult to implement rules which have caused very heavy delays in the construction of infrastructures, the Palermo-Agrigento, for example, I believe is an emblematic example of how a public work created quickly is still being defined today. The introduction of new rules, at a national and regional level, has greatly simplified the regulatory framework with the aim of creating the infrastructures that citizens need without cluttering them with quibbles and legal issues that often hide struggles between interested parties”.
Another important aspect concerns digitalisation and its effects on the “construction site system”, a topic addressed to the architect Alfonso Cimino, former president of the Order of Architects of Agrigento: “I thank the president Rino La Mendola for having called me to intervene on the topic of management of public works and, in particular, of the management of the works which leads us professionals to deal with companies that are increasingly better organized also from a technical point of view. In the regulatory field, the reference points have changed but what matters most is the computerization of the documentation present within a construction site”. “Law 12 of 2023 – adds architect Marco Montalbano – determines a clear technical standard which decrees the use of the digitalisation of the BIM method which will become mandatory from January 2025, for the design of works worth more than one million euros” .
For Gianluca Oreto, engineer and director of the Laboripubblici.it portal, the conference “is intended not only as an in-depth study on the issues concerning the Public Contracts Code, with particular reference to the Sicilian region but, above all, as a moment of proactive discussion between all the professionals who deal with public works in the region, therefore freelancers, managers of public administrations and the world of politics; because, let’s not forget, law 12-2023 was created thanks to the support of all the professionals in our region, from politics to professionals”.
After the reports, a debate was held open not only to professionals but also to all Agrigento deputies elected to the regional parliament. In this context, the deputies Margherita La Rocca Ruvolo, Angelo Cambiano and Michele Catanzaro spoke.
“I believe – states the Honorable Margherita La Rocca Ruvolo – it is an important day on the comparison of regulation 12 launched by the Ars to define the procedures of the Procurement Code. The fact that public administration and politics can work together, without remaining entangled in the administrative machine, is to be considered important for the impact this has on citizens, on the procurement of works and on their speed. A round of applause to the architects gathered here, to the colleagues who exchanged ideas and to the politicians who responded quickly.”
“The Sicilian Region – declares the Honorable Angelo Cambiano – has implemented the national legislation by making some changes aimed at strengthening the single purchasing body, such as opening it up to professional firms and young professionals. There are aspects that can be improved, everything can be perfected, but it is good work carried out across the board by all political forces.”
“As opposition group leader – says the Honorable Michele Catanzaro – I believe that the contribution to the creation of the text was made in the improvement of some articles and this work was carried forward, with tenacity and attention, by President La Mendola who did not fail not even one of the auditions. It is clear that when common sense rules are drawn up there is no majority and opposition, they are rules that are useful to professionals and above all to the territory”.
“This evening the Order of Architects and the Architects in the Mediterranean Foundation – comments Piero Fiaccabrino, president of the Architects in the Mediterranean Foundation, at the conclusion of the event – continue a path of events that range from training to culture. It is a continuous journey which, especially in the last year, has been characterized by courses on safety, on fire regulations, on Cam, … In the field of Architecture, we have hosted the most famous exponents in the world with Maria Giuseppina Grasso Cannizzo, Franco Purini, Alberto Ferlenga and Massimiliano Fuksas with the interview with Luigi Prestinenza Puglisi and, again, Open Studi Aperti and many other events which characterized an incessant activity carried out in full synergy by the Order and the Foundation”.
“We are satisfied with the improvements introduced to the Contract Code by regional law n°12 of last 12 October 2023 – concludes Rino La Mendola – We appreciated the work done, not only by the regional government, by the branch councilor Alessandro Aricò and by the regional department Technical directed by the engineer Duilio Alongi, but also by the parliamentarians who signed the amendments proposed by the technical professions and by a responsible and constructive opposition who voted for the law, introducing changes that have further improved its contents”.
