Consultancy firm Mott MacDonald would be submitting a report on the feasibility of a permanent link between Malta and Gozo by the end of this month, Parliamentary Secretary Chris Said announced yesterday.

The government had appointed the company to look into the various options that include building a bridge or an underwater tunnel.

Addressing a Nationalist Party meeting in Xagħra, Dr Said noted that he had been assured that the preliminary report would be finalised by the end of this month. The government would then be able to continue consultations and looking into the option of linking the two islands.

Dr Said insisted that the generation of employment and investment in Gozo remained a government priority. This linked with education and it was satisfying to note that about 1,000 Gozitan students were attending the University, he said.

He spoke on the need to revise employment legislation to ensure there were no loopholes that would allow the exploitation of workers. Some amendments had already been suggested to the Employment Relations Board.

The next step for Gozo, he said, would be linking the two islands. The only operating link between Malta and Gozo is the ferry service operated by Gozo Channel Company Ltd. People could also travel there by seaplane. The proposal for an underwater tunnel gathered pace last year when the subject was raised by eye surgeon Franco Mercieca and businessman Joe Borg, a former Gozo Channel chairman.

The topic sparked controversy among those who believe it is sorely needed, primarily Gozitans, and others who strongly opposed it, saying the natural beauty of the island would be lost.

Mott MacDonald, which in the past had also been commissioned by the government to conduct a study on the feasibility of off- and onshore wind turbines, was asked to look into the viability of the link.

The company was briefed to assess the technical and economic feasibility of constructing a subsea road tunnel or a bridge between Malta and Gozo. The report was financed by the Joint Assistance to Support Projects in European Regions (Jaspers), which helps in the preparation of major projects submitted for grant financing under the Structural and Cohesion Funds.