Minister lists projects in hand in Gozo

Gozo Minister Giovanna Debono yesterday listed the benefits which Gozo would enjoy as a result of EU funds, after accusing Opposition MPs of being unfair when they told a radio interviewer that Gozo would not be getting anything.

Mrs Debono said during the budget debate in parliament that in view of Gozo's heavy dependence on tourism, Lm500,000 would be used for the promotion of diving activities, the creation of artificial reefs for divers and the installation of a decompression chamber; the institute for tourism studies would be upgraded and a training hotel would be set up, at a cost of another Lm500,000; Lm40,000 would be used to upgrade the archaeology museum and remains of the Brocktorff Circle would start being displayed for the first time; the Artisans Centre would be extended at a cost of Lm250,000, and there would be new craft courses.

The ETC, using EU funds, would hold three schemes for human resource development - the graduate scheme, the support scheme for SMEs and the fostering entrepreneurship scheme. The ETC would also hold customer service courses. The total cost of these courses would be €260,000.

A further €93,000 were being allocated to the University Gozo Centre which would offer courses in, among others, e-commerce, IT, business studies, environmental planning and agricultural studies. At a time when the employment situation was not so bright, such courses would lead to new opportunities and better quality jobs.

Mrs Debono said the budget was offering the biggest financial allocations ever for Gozo. Capital expenditure, for example, would be five times higher than under the Labour government and would reach in excess of Lm5 million. In all, some Lm10 million would be allocated to Gozo, including Lm2.5 million from the EU.

The minister said it was not the Gozo Ministry's fault that some manufacturing firms in Gozo had closed. Such factories were moving to low wage destinations, but contrary to what the opposition speakers had said, many workers who lost their jobs were now working elsewhere. The challenge was to create even more jobs appropriate to Gozo. That was why the ministry was revising all schemes to attract investment to Gozo and a business promotion document had been drawn up.

Referring to opposition remarks, Mrs Debono said the Gozo abattoir had not been permanently closed but was being modernised at a cost of Lm250,000.

As to complaints about smells during the shipment of waste to Malta, Mrs Debono said the opposition MPs had not had the courage to recognise the benefits of the closure of the Qortin dump.

Neither had the opposition MPs said anything about the Lm3m sewage treatment plant and the new Lm1.5m water polishing plant which would give all Gozitan households good quality tap water.

As for the roads network, the EU would pay 75 per cent of the €7 million cost for an upgrading of the roads from Mgarr to Xewkija and from Victoria to San Lawrenz and Dwejra.

Mrs Debono said funds from the Italian financial protcol were being used for an upgrading of the incinerator at the abattoir, an agricultural grading station and cold storage facilities.

The ministry had also launched new assistance schemes for Gozitan farmers. There was also a new afforestation drive in several localities.

The minister pointed to works on better facilities in Dwejra. She said Gozo hospital had never seen as much investment as in the past few years.

Mrs Debono referred to the criticism over dismissals from the cafeteria of the Gozo ferries. Such dismissals were regretted, she said, but had the opposition speakers forgotten their remarks on over-manning on the ferries? Similarly, had they forgotten how the ferry tariffs rose under Labour?

The minister said the government was continuing the Mgarr terminal project and remained committed to the introduction of a new air link as soon as possible. The ministry in association with the Gozo social partners was also drawing up a social and economic development plan aimed at best utilising and developing Gozo's resources. The targets within this plan would include new yachting facilities, a casino and a golf course. Care would be taken for the Gozitan economy to be as diversified as possible, bringing out the Gozitan identity as a distinct destination. The plan would also aim at maintaining Gozo's social cohesion and higher living standards.

Nationalist MP Frederick Azzopardi said that Gozo was far from being at the periphery of government activity. The biggest projects in Gozo, completed or in hand, had been initiated under Nationalist governments.

Gozo stood to benefit greatly from the measures in the budget, including the fiscal incentives for SMEs, exemptions from penalties on VAT payments and more funding for educational institutions. It was this government which was building new facilities at Mgarr harbour and had closed the Qortin dump. This government had also built a water polishing plant in Gozo and was building a sewage treatment plant. The tourism sector would also be benefiting from a training hotel, while the Ggantija temples were being rehabilitated.

Although jobs in the manufacturing sector had dropped, the employment scene was not the disaster which Labour MPs made it out to be. Indeed, there were more people registering for work at the time of Labour government in1997.

Concluding, Mr Azzopardi said it was the government's duty to lay out plans and set targets; it was MPs' task to help their constituents to reach those targets.