In 1998, the Labour government created a wish list for Gozo. A wish list very well suited to our gem of an island - a wish list which would have ensured the well-being of Gozo and its population for time to come.
I am referring to the Development Plan for Gozo. This was a well planned and defined strategy, with a very clear vision for Gozo, devised to:
Create more work opportunities for Gozitans in Gozo.
Increase in Gozitans' real income.
Improve the quality of the Gozitans' standard of living.
Boost efficiency in the transport between the islands.
These targets could have been very well achieved within the larger framework of sustainable development. Respecting and maintaining the social, cultural and environmental characteristics of the island would still have been a top priority.
Unfortunately, the present government never heeded the recommendations put forward by the MLP. Instead, most of the time was, and still is, wasted on trivial and petty issues. And in the meantime, we have an island which is regressing instead of progressing - factories and hotels are closing down, jobs being lost, tourism figures dwindling, the environment neglected, a decrease in the real income and spending power of Gozitans, business people are very pessimistic and the double insularity creating problems more than ever.
Faced with such a critical situation, the MLP has updated the 1998 Gozo Development Plan to take into account the needs of the present day too. This will ensure that when the MLP is returned to government, Gozo will take a fresh breath of life soonest possible.
The new plan integrates within it the various aspects of life in Gozo. It first analyses the present situation of these various aspects of Gozitan life and then prioritises among the different measures which can be taken to rectify the present negative situation.
The main strategic targets in this new plan are:
Minimising the effects of Gozo's double insularity.
Protecting and consolidating Gozo's heritage.
Improving the public administration of the island.
Safeguarding existing jobs and creating new job opportunities.
All this will be taken in the context of Gozo being an island region and thus we will ensure that it is given the necessary priority in conformity with the regional policies of the EU. We will take seriously the issue of the EU funds that are promised for projects in Gozo and make sure that not a single euro is lost.
A new Labour government will reverse the present state of regress in Gozo and will place Gozo once again in a top position. This will be translated into direct and tangible benefits for Gozo, among which an increase in earnings and a general improvement in the standard of living of the Gozitans. Only a new Labour government will strive to ensure that Gozo's social and economic development will be at par with that of Malta and eventually that of the EU.
Dr Refalo is a Labour member of Parliament.