Labour MP sees need for Gozo airport

Labour MP Anton Refalo said yesterday that Gozo needed facilities for fixed wing aircraft able to carry at least 60 passengers direct from Italy and Tunisia.

He told Parliament that Gozo should not continue to depend on Malta's tourism leftovers.

There should therefore be a Gozo Tourism Authority focused on attracting tourism to the sister island, and cruise liners needed to start berthing in Gozo regularly.

In a speech in Parliament Dr Refalo hit out at the government for not giving enough attention to Gozo. He pointed out that over a period of three years, Lm7 million allocated to Gozo as capital expenditure for various projects remained unspent. That figure, he said, was higher than the total allocation for capital expenditure next year.

He also complained that the Gozitan economy was continuing to deteriorate because of government inefficiency and uncertainty.

Just last week Tourism Minister Francis Zammit Dimech boasted that the Kempinski San Lawrenz Hotel was being extended. Yet the extension involved apartments for sale, leading one to question how such a development was being allowed when development outside the building zone had only been allowed for the hotel.

At the same time, the Mgarr Hotel was about to close down. This was a reflection of the state of tourism in Gozo, because the same owners of the hotel also owned the Hilton Malta, which would be extended.

Dr Refalo complained that there was no development plan in Gozo, despite promises by the minister that such a plan was being drawn up. Indeed one sometimes wondered if there really was anyone responsible for the administration of Gozo because when parliamentary questions were asked to the Minister for Gozo, the inevitable reply was that the question should be addressed to the minister concerned.

Many promises were made to Gozitans over the years, but most of them had not materialised. Among them was the promise of job creation.

Nothing had come from a promise to build a community centre in Victoria even though funds were repeatedly allocated for this project.

In 2003, a capital allocation of Lm2.8m was made for Gozo but only Lm1.6 million were spent. For 2004 Lm3.6m were allocated but only Lm1.3m were spent. For this year, Lm5.7m were voted but these were reduced to Lm5 million. Moreover, up to September only Lm845,624 were spent. This showed the inefficiency of this government. The government had long promised to improve yachting facilities in Gozo, but here again no development was being made.

Dr Refalo highlighted the Mgarr/Cirkewwa harbours project as an example of inefficiency.

The project was originally to cost Lm8 million but this estimate had gradually gone up to Lm14.5 million. Completion was due in mid-2003 but now works were due to be finished next year at Mgarr, and work on the Cirkewwa terminal would only start then.

He said that like the communal centre project, funds had been allocated for a sewage treatment plant but many remained unspent.

In contrast, maybe because it suited somebody, there tended to be over-spending on the roads. In seven years Lm3.3 million were allocated for Gozo roads and Lm4.9 million were spent.

Still, Dr Refalo said, spending on Gozo's roads per kilometre was far lower than in Malta. Gozo had also received a fraction of the funds given to Malta through the Italian financial protocol. He had complained about this to the Italian ambassador, who expressed his deep regret while saying he could do nothing about it.

Dr Refalo noted that this year had seen a significant decline in the number of passengers and vehicles carried on the Gozo ferries. The newly introduced Gozo helicopter service was also not living up to the promises made by government ministers.

Manufacturing activity was continuing to slump and there was persistent uncertainty on whether subsidies on the carriage of industrial supplies and agricultural produce to and from Malta would be retained. EU documents showed such subsidies would have to be phased out by 2008. The Minister for Gozo was saying they would be retained, but that view was contradicted by Investments Minister Austin Gatt.

How could anyone consider investing in a climate of such uncertainty, Dr Refalo asked.

Labour MP Justyne Caruana said Malta was doing badly, and Gozo was faring worse. The sister island was wallowing rudderless in a serious crisis with the minister, even when replying to parliamentary questions, brushing matters to other ministries which had no direct interest in Gozo.

Dr Caruana said she found it difficult to believe the minister's claim that jobs lost in the manufacturing sector were being replaced elsewhere. Indeed, the minister had not taken up her challenge for a headcount of those who had lost their manufacturing sector jobs and a detailed analysis of what they were doing now. The reality was that foreign investment had dried up, no proper investment promotion was being made, and even the minister had said that the future of large manufacturing was bleak.

What had become of the project for a decompression chamber and the casino, yacht marina and golf course mentioned in last year's budget speech? When would the works at Mgarr harbour, the Dbiegi crafts village and the sewage treatment plant be completed. When would the abbatoir be reopened?

The government was saying it would build a waste transfer station near Xewkija. Why Xewkija? This had become the dumping ground of Gozo, including factories, an incinerator, a transmission antenna, two cemeteries and a heliport.

The population of Xewkija had the highest incidence of cancer and asthma in Gozo. She hoped that health considerations were being made as the site for the waste transfer station was decided.

Dr Caruana also underlined the need for cruise liners to berth in Gozo. Unfortunately Gozo had a bad name among cruise operators after cruise passengers were made to pay the Gozo Channel fare when they landed in Gozo. This requirement had since been lifted, but the damage was done.

Dr Caruana suggested that Mgarr harbour should have a designated area for cruise ships.

Turning to the Gozo Hospital, Dr Caruana said the government should invest in better equipment so that Gozitans would not need to cross to Malta for treatment. The Gozo Hospital did not even have an ENT service and an angiogram.

She also criticised the Gozo Ministry for having submitted a Mepa application which provided for building right in the middle of the racetrack, obstructing the view for enthusiasts.