From our online comments board

Time to revise Gozo’s system of government?

Chris Said has a knack for suggesting such things. He was the one who had reignited the bridge/tunnel conundrum a few years back. Now he wants a council for Gozo which competes or runs parallel with the ministry and creates even more confusion. Would the same council be autonomous from the main government? Would it run on taxes from the whole population or from Gozitan taxes only? Where would the Gozo taxes go? Will Gozitans working in Malta be taxed in the same manner? Who would have the highest executive powers in Gozo? – George Cassar

Why would you then still need a minister for Gozo, just for the debates in parliament? Instead, you can have a parliamentary secretary who reports directly to the prime minister. – K. Zahra

Chris Said believes Gozo’s regionality should be enshrined in the constitution. Photo: Shutterstock.com/Facebook

I agree with the proposal, which should also include similar regional councils for Malta – one for each region – Northern, North Harbour, South Harbour, Eastern and Western. The day-to-day planning should go through these elected councils, and, like that, cabinet can be reduced to fewer individuals whose job would be to decide on national priorities rather than local decisions. These councils should work hand in hand with the local councils that should be given more power. If need be, reduce the number of people elected on these councils. Some of them are too bloated to work effectively. – Danika Vella

Gozo has a closely-knit society of islanders who scratch each others’ backs. The system in Gozo is running on a free for all Gozitans system.

Just look at how many MPs are ready to speak out against the complete takeover of the waterfront in Marsalforn and in favour of a breakwater, or the give-away transfer of Fort Chambray, or the fact that one in 10 Gozitan drivers don’t use the seatbelt while driving, or the fact that no speed camera has ever been installed in Għajnsielem’s main thoroughfare, or that many government workers in Gozo are never seen doing anything, or parking in the middle of the road bears no consequences for Gozitan drivers. There are three price tiers in Gozo: for tourists, for Maltese visitors and for Gozitans. I can go on forever.

Three, or is it four, ministers for Gozo in the past nine years were unable or, rather, unwilling to fix a “simple” flow of smelly water on a main road because the residents in the area are mostly not Gozitan voters and they cannot use their vote as a weapon.

The only change needed is to take away the ministry of Gozo and give the Gozitan politicians of both sides of parliament (who have an unwritten ‘code of ethics’ between them) a good run for their re-election.

I sometimes wonder why we feel offended when some foreigner speaks the truth about the quality of life in our country. – J. Schembri

The only thing that Gozo needs is a responsible district manager for each prevailing government ministry, no political appointments, just civil servants at the grade of permanent secretaries.

For a piece of land with a population of less than 40k and an economy which is 90 per cent dependant on Malta there is no purpose of politically affiliated administrative structures. – V. Buhagiar