Alex Borg proposes specialist police anti-drug squad for Gozo
Previous squad was disbanded by government, PN leader says
Alex Borg on Saturday said a PN government would set up a dedicated anti-drug squad for Gozo, after the previous one was disbanded by the government.
Addressing a PN press conference in Gozo, the PN leader said this would help reduce drug trafficking on the island and provide peace of mind to families.
He said a crime review published by the government had shown an increase in serious crime in both Malta and Gozo, including an explosion in drug trafficking.
Borg said this was why the PN has already proposed a joint army-police taskforce to help crack down on drug traffickers.
The PN leader said the party would reopen police stations in Gozo’s villages, as one of the key tenets of security is having a visible police force.
Borg accused the government of relegating Gozo to an “afterthought”.
He said Labour had “copy-pasted” various proposals it failed to implement in its 2022 manifesto back into its latest manifesto, which it released on Friday.
Borg said proposals like the Marsalforn breakwater, an underground carpark in the same locality and new law courts had all been repeatedly promised by the Labour government over the years.
He said the government was trying to make up for four years of failed infrastructure investment to repave roads in Gozo during the four-week election campaign.
Borg said the government’s proposal to increase Gozo Channel’s fleet to five ferries failed to factor in the necessary infrastructure works that need to be carried out at the Mgarr and Cirkewwa harbours.
He said a PN government will expand the parking area in Mgarr and invest more in Cirkewwa’s infrastructure.
Borg said a PN government would also, after carrying out the necessary studies and consultation, identify another port for Gozo to take pressure off Mgarr.
He said PN would also see through on its promise to build a breakwater in Marsalforn.
Construction proposals
Borg was questioned by Times of Malta about the PN’s apparent lack of proposals to better regulate the construction sector.
On Friday, the PN leader published a video on social media expressing his solidarity with Naxxar families who were evacuated from their homes over fears that a nearby building site could collapse.
No mention of the PN’s proposals to reform the building sector were made during the video.
Borg said the PN wants to see more health and safety standards on construction sites. He said every family has a right to feel safe in their homes.
Borg said the government made a lot of noise about reforms every time there is a major construction incident, but then everything gets “forgotten.”
The PN leader expressed his agreement with Labour’s proposal to stop developments while an appeal is pending. Borg said the appeals process needs to be more “structured,” to provide better clarity.
He said the PN’s proposals for the construction sector will be revealed in the coming days in the party’s manifesto.