Government set to unveil Gozo economic boost strategy

The government is planning to announce initiatives to boost economic activity in Gozo, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi told a Nationalist Party activity there yesterday.

He said the government was also aiming for Gozo to eventually rely fully on alternative energy for its power.

Speaking at a regional conference on the theme Furthering Our Success Together - Jobs, Education And The Environment, Dr Gonzi underlined the PN's vision for Malta and accused the Labour Party of having "an inferiority policy". The PN, he said, had always set high goals for Malta and achieved them, as were Independence and EU membership.

Dr Gonzi drew contrasts between his speech on the Granaries last Thursday and the address by Labour leader Alfred Sant at Birzebbuga. The first was about what Malta should be aiming for while Dr Sant's speech was all about insulting and ridiculing people.

The Prime Minister said that central to the PN's vision for Malta was the development of the island in the information technology and financial sectors, where significant results were already being achieved. The latest and most important example was the investment in SmartCity. Just as important were growth in the tourism, health and education sectors.

Gozo would benefit from all these areas, but the government was also setting priorities exclusively for Gozo, including the way it wanted to see the island powered completely by alternative sources of energy.

Dr Gonzi said the country faced several challenges, notably investment in the training of workers and rising prices of oil and grain. Another challenge was to ensure that, in achieving sustainable growth, Malta and Gozo retained and improved their attractions.

Millions of liri were being invested in the environment, notably in the closure of the landfills, the development of waste and sewage treatment plants and restoration projects.

In contrast, under Labour, bastions and other historical sites had been ruined and were it up to the MLP, the landfills would have remained open, Dr Gonzi said.