Sant promises re-introduction of Gozo helicopter service

A new Labour government would reintroduce a subsidised helicopter service between Malta and Gozo, Labour leader Alfred Sant promised yesterday.

Speaking during a conference with Gozitan organisations at the Kempinski San Lawrenz hotel in Gozo, Dr Sant said that Labour MEPs had worked to ensure that subsidies would be permitted for such a service.

Dr Sant said that a European company interested in operating this service had already sent him proposals and he expected others to follow suit. Labour, he said, would give this project utmost priority. Replying to a question from a representative of the Gozo Business Chamber, Dr Sant said that the Mġarr/Ċirkewwa ports projects would be completed its first six months of Labour in office.

Work on the Mgarr terminal is already at a very advanced stage. Dr Sant said he agreed with the Gozo Tourism Association's proposal that a Gozitan organisation should be responsible to market the island as a separate destination. However, it was important to retain the synergies between the two islands and to take economies of scale into consideration.

Gozo needed infrastructural development such as yacht marinas and a golf course, though the Labour leader refused to answer questions as to where the latter would be located.

Dr Sant also said he agreed that the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development should have full Gozitan representation, reflecting the needs of Gozitan bodies and organisations.

Responding to a question by Federazzjoni Kaċċaturi Nassaba u Konservazzjonisti representative Joe Perici Calascione, Dr Sant said he all social forces in country should be given recognition as long as they respected laws and regulations. If there was a problem with the clay pigeon shooting range in Gozo, this would be looked into, as long as the country's and the EU's regulations were respected.

The Labour leader said it was his dream for the country to have a nature reserve managed jointly by Birdlife and the FKNK.

Dr Sant also said that a Labour Government would exempt the self employed from paying national insurance and other taxes the initial years of their business. Speaking during a visit to a pig farm in Għasri later, Dr Sant promised to sustain the current agricultural projects being financed by EU funds and said that more money would be sought to sustain agriculture.

A new Labour Government would work to give the agricultural industry a new lease of life increasing its contribution to the GDP from three per cent to four per cent. He said that a unit would be set up within the Gozo Ministry to assist and advise Gozitan farmers and entrepreneurs to tap available funds. This would be done in collaboration with Malta's office in Brussels. Dr Sant said that he had visited the farm to understand better the problems being faced by Gozitan farmers. These included the high cost of fodder, the drop in sales due to EU competition, and the fact that the slaughterhouse in Gozo had been shut down. Farmers said that although consumers preferred the quality of local pork, they were finding it tough to compete with the prices of European products, forcing them to conclude that it was better to cease operations.

Dr Sant insisted that agriculture must be preserved and that local farms had to be given an impetus in line with what was permitted by EU rules. Asked for the Labour Party's views on spring hunting should no decision be taken by the Government by March 8, Dr Sant said his party would take that decision when the time came.

During his visit to Gozo, Dr Sant also met and congratulated singer Morena who is representing Malta in the Eurovision song contest.