The crammed Gozo courts should immediately shift to the Gozo Innovation Hub on the outskirts of Xewkija, at least on a temporary basis, MP Chris Said said on Tuesday.  

The Gozitan MP said the current law courts in Citadel were not in line with health and safety standards and not fit for purpose.  

Last year, Times of Malta revealed the court building had failed to meet minimum health and safety standards during an audit by the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA). 

Aside from the OHSA report, the Gozo law courts have been faulted by the Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability, in another audit.

Meanwhile, the Gozo Innovation Hub is abandoned, with almost no workers operating from there, according to Said, who was addressing a parliamentary debate.

The Gozo Innovation Hub was inaugurated in 2019 and was set to transform a former milk processing plant in Xewkija, into a 9,000-square metre building set to provide space and facilities for technology and innovation companies.  

However, the hub which planned to host a multitude of various operations in the knowledge-based economy has had a slow start.

In October, economy minister Silvio Schembri said that currently, 10 companies are operating at the Xewkija buildings, five of which are government entities.

A total of 148 workers are employed by these companies, he said in his response to a parliamentary question.  

PN spokesperson for Gozo Alex Borg decried the fact that the government failed to include a chapter on Gozo in the 2023 budget. 

While the budget to Gozo has been slashed by €5 million, Steward Health Care has been given €10 million more to operate their privatised hospital,” he said.  

“€230 million of potential investment was given to Steward healthcare in three years,” he said. 

Steward runs the Gozo hospital as well as the Karin Grech and St Luke's hospitals.