The government totally forgot Gozo when drafting plans for next year's budget, the PN said on Friday.

In a statement, spokesperson Chris Said said that Gozo had been allocated only 2.8 per cent of the country's capital expenditure, despite having a footprint equivalent to a third of Malta's size.

The island also suffers double insularity, he said.

"The PL had promised Gozitans employment in Gozo. Nowadays, the number of Gozitan workers in Malta is three times more than that of 2013.

"This confirms that for a Gozitan to benefit from decent work conditions, they have to work in Malta. For Gozo, the government created only schemes, precarious work with a minimum wage and work with contractors that provide government services. No productive work with good wages has been created for Gozo," Said added.

The party also flagged the absence of new projects for Gozo. Instead, the budget highlighted long-promised projects that have not yet been implemented.

These include a Victoria primary school, the restoration of the aqueduct, Heliport investment and the completion of the Ħondoq reverse osmosis.

Additionally, other promised projects such as an Għajnsielem home for the elderly, new court premises, a cruise liner terminal and a yacht marina have been forgotten.

For the sixth consecutive budget, the government made reference to a Gozo Museum, however, it failed to say that Malta had lost €5million in EU funds over this project, the PN claimed.

And after paying €10million over two years to rent out an old ferry, it does not seem that Gozo will be getting a fourth, adequate ferry, it added. 

The budget also failed to include investment in agriculture and education in Gozo, Said said.