Paceville shops in the area of the collapsed Tania Flats are being told they cannot reopen unless they engage an architect to certify their building is safe, and they are not happy about it. They argue they should not be made to foot the bill, especially since they were forced to close by the authorities and they are not responsible for any construction wrongdoing. Several businesses who spoke to Times of Malta argue the inspections should be paid by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA). 鈥淚t鈥檚 crazy that we need to pay this money to have it certified when none of us are responsible鈥 it should be the BCA which opens [the properties] again, not private architects,鈥 said one business owner. Another said: 鈥淲hy should I get my architect to certify the building is safe? If anything, the BCA should鈥. Traders spoke on condition of anonymity, saying they feared reopening their businesses could be delayed by the authorities. They also say they have been provided with no official paperwork regarding the closures and subsequent works, which they worry could hamper insurance claims for lost business, adding they had not been provided with information from the authority about recovering lost revenue. In a reply to questions, the BCA said the requirement is 鈥渋n line with standard procedure鈥 but did not respond to questions as to why the cost had to be incurred by third parties and would not give details on why the shops in question were forced to close. It also did not say whether it would provide shop owners with documentation about the closures. Shops closed down after collapse The shops were closed down after the Tania Flats block came crashing down on June 11. Nobody was injured in what could have been one of the deadliest in history, as residents were evacuated just hours before the apartment block gave in. Several businesses close to the collapsed site, including a hotel, grocery store, bar, pharmacy and healthcare providers, were closed when the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) began work in the area. Some shop owners said they turned up to work to find their premises cordoned off with police tape and BCA officials on site telling them they could not return to work until investigations and shoring-up activities were completed. But despite BCA inspections in the area having been completed, some business owners say they are not being allowed to reenter their premises to resume commercial activities until they have employed an architect to sign off on its safety. Some businesses in the area have reopened, while others remain closed. Architects unwilling to certify Shop owners even reported difficulty finding architects willing to carry out the inspections, further delaying their return to work. They said architects had told them they were not willing to certify the safety of buildings in an area where demolition and intervention works had been carried out by others not working under their supervision. Several architects confirmed their reluctance to Times of Malta, saying they would not feel comfortable certifying buildings in the area. While some businesses said they recently managed to find architects willing to inspect the property, they have balked at having to fork out hundreds, in some cases thousands, of euros for the works. Architects Times of Malta spoke to estimated that such inspections could be as high as 鈧10,000 for some buildings in the area.