Real partnership in social, economic and political life comes about through genuine dialogue and negotiations rooted in facts, not pies in the sky. Real partnership is forged when the parties involved aim at achieving the same goal - their mutual benefit.
Last week, on behalf of the government, I had the privilege of securing such a partnership. Following months of negotiations with Microsoft, leading to a meeting with Bill Gates, we struck a deal under which Microsoft will invest an estimated Lm20 million in Malta in the next three years.
The aim is to turn the island into the Mediterranean's information and communications technology hub as well as a regional centre of excellence for software development. Obviously, Microsoft are banking on Malta becoming a member of the European Union.
This Lm20 million deal is expected to attract a number of independent software developers to operate in Malta, creating more job opportunities. Local and foreign software development companies will, in turn, have access to global marketing and technical support networks as well as a host of related services.
In addition, we see this partnership with Microsoft as an instrument for breaking down the digital divide and boosting the information and communications technology skills of the Maltese students.
Microsoft will be subsidising over 98 per cent of the cost of Microsoft Office XP Professional and Visual Basic Studio software. Apart from the software itself, they will also be providing the full upgrades of newer versions over the next three years.
Microsoft also accepted the ministry's request to make this subsidy available to all 70,000 Maltese students. Similar packages retail at Lm200-350. Every Maltese student will only have to pay Lm3.
The deal includes the setting up of a Microsoft IT Academy in Malta which will offer over 25 training specialisations and certifications to Maltese students and employees. The academy will also service the university, MCAST, the Swatar Training Centre and ETC.
Finally, the Microsoft deal will make information and communications technology more accessible to people with disability. Through the provision of heavily subsidised selected software and the development of specialised software for people with visual and hearing impairments, we will be actively engaged in bridging the digital divide.
The partnership with Microsoft is real - signed, sealed and about to be delivered.
Dr Gatt is Minister of Justice and Local Government.