MLP development plan for Gozo

The Labour Party was offering a development plan to generate jobs in Gozo for the Gozitans, while the government had deceived them by not fulfilling its promises, Labour deputy leader Charles Mangion yesterday.

Dr Mangion, who was described in an MLP statement as the acting leader since Alfred Sant is abroad, visited a number of projects in Gozo which, he said, "confirmed how the aspirations of Gozitan families are not being given attention".

The Mgarr quay was an example of the government's incompetence and deception: more than four years after it was supposed to be ready, it was still incomplete, Dr Mangion said.

Moreover, between 2003 and 2006, Lm455,000 was spent on consultancies. If the project were completed in time, the country would not have had to foot these expenses, while its cost had soared from Lm8 million to Lm15 million.

Most of the work on Ghajnsielem Street has been carried out in the summer, causing inconvenience, Dr Mangion said. Again, the deadlines had shifted and it was still not complete, while three different figures have been given for the total cost, ranging from Lm1.2 million to Lm2 million. He said Gozo had spent 10 months without a helicopter service, and a Labour government was proposing offering a subsidy to get it going once again.

He also said the goalposts had shifted several times when it came to the completion of the drainage recycling plant in Gozo, which was not yet finished.

Among its proposals, a new Labour government would set up a regional council for Gozo, which would be responsible for drawing up a plan for economic and social development.

Its proposals also included the construction of a yacht marina and a golf course, and the enlargement of sandy beaches in Marsalforn and Xlendi, Dr Mangion said.