Gozitan businessmen favour EU accession

The Gozo Business Chamber has taken an official stand in favour of membership after its members overwhelmingly approved the outcome of negotiations in a survey.

No fewer than 88 per cent of the chamber's members said they approved the negotiations sealed last December, 10 per cent disagreed, while two per cent invalidated their reply.

The results were announced by chamber president John Magro during a national conference on Gozo and the EU, organised by the Malta-EU Information Centre.

Over 60 per cent of the chamber's members, which total some 200, replied to the survey, a response rate described as "very satisfactory" by Mr Magro, especially considering Gozitans' reputation of being secretive about their views.

Members were also asked how their own business, their particular sector and their country would be affected as a result of membership. The full results will be announced in the coming days.

Mr Magro said the members were asked to comment after they were recently sent an information package on the final negotiated package drawn up by MIC, together with comments by the three political parties.

Mr Magro said the Gozo chamber tried to obtain "more than it could ever dream of" in the negotiations. While it was successful in a number of objectives, in others there was still some work to do.

He stressed that constant measures needed to be taken to ensure that Gozo's development would not lag behind Malta's.

Mr Magro was asked to reply to Opposition Leader Alfred Sant who accused Magro Brothers of being among those favouring the EU simply because they were being threatened by the government.

His reply was diplomatic: "I have always done and said what I've strongly believed in. Anybody who knows me, especially on a personal level, can vouch for this."