Gozo left out of development, embellishment projects

Gozo was being left out of development and embellishment projects and would receive less than one per cent of the EU funds being received by Malta, Opposition Gozo spokesman Anton Refalo said in parliament yesterday.

He said Gozo was missing out on road development, beach development and school refurbishment programmes currently in hand in Malta. The public-private partnership for the embellishment of traffic islands had not been extended to Gozo.

Services at the general hospital had deteriorated such that the hospital was little more than a health centre.

The fare of the helicopter service would continue to rise further with the imposition of a higher rate of VAT, and it cost much more to fly from Malta to Gozo than from London to Paris.

He observed that Gozo would only receive Lm372,000 from the Lm33 million in EU funds included in the budget. This was a far cry from what the Gozitans were promised.

Dr Refalo insisted on the need for job creating initiatives in Gozo saying unemployment was rising fast.

Services also needed to improve. Why was mail from Gozo to Gozo directed via Malta, with consequent delays? Any why was a Customs office not open in Gozo.

Gozo Channel ferry trips had been reduced and it looked like fares were to be increased and the cargo service from Sa Maison was to be halted. Indeed, it appeared that Gozo Channel would be privatised, even though it provided a social service.

The future of the helicopter service was also uncertain.

In his speech Dr Refalo asked what had become of plans for an industrial park at Ta' Xhajma. He called for stronger government assistance to NGOs and said a car park should be built near the Victoria Citadel.

Dr Refalo said he had a dream that Gozo would one day have legislative power in the area of the police and the customs sector, for example.

Labour, he said, wanted to see the creation of a regional council for Gozo even though many mayors in Gozo were Nationalists. It wanted to give Gozo a say in the administration of the island.

Dr Refalo asked the minister to say what economic and jobs growth was expected in Malta next year. He also asked what was to become of the Chambray project.

Labour MP Justyne Caruana said unemployment was undoubtedly Gozo's biggest problem, particularly affecting young people. It was a problem which affected both graduates and others with manual skills, and an increasing number of young people had to move to Malta to find a job.

Dr Caruana said the allowance given to Gozitans studying in Malta needed to be raised so as the ease the financial burden on their families.

It was good that problems regarding the bus service to Cirkewwa had been solved, but there was now a fresh problem with the ferries performing fewer trips. Dr Caruana said it was about time that cattle were not taken on the ferries during the most popular trips.

Referring to flight services to Gozo, she said that plans for the building of an airstrip some years ago had faced strong protests. The idea was now making a re-appearance. Would the people be consulted? It should be remembered that its building would alter Gozo's characteristic and thus make the island ineligible for direct EU aid.

Dr Caruana called for increased funding on education and health services in Gozo. Emerging social problems, such as a high rate of teenage pregnancies, alcohol abuse and other vices should also be addressed.

She also called for better marketing of Gozo as a tourist destination.