Gozo would be declared a tourism zone, meaning that all shops could remain open till late and operate on Sundays and public holidays too, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said yesterday.
Addressing the Gozo regional sub-committee of the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development (MCESD), Dr Gonzi said this measure, which comes into effect once the relevant legal notice is published, was expected to generate more economic activity on the island, including the creation of more employment opportunities.
He said the government had started work on drafting the national rural tourism policy so that localities could be turned into self-standing tourism attractions.
Dr Gonzi also announced that the government would be setting up an office for the Malta-EU Steering Action Committee (Meusac) and the MCESD Gozo regional sub-committee, as it had promised to do in its electoral manifesto. The office would help local councils, non-governmental organisations and the private sector to participate in EU-funded projects.
He said Meusac had already helped NGOs and local councils to apply for a number of EU-funded projects. Of these, 29 had already been chosen.
Dr Gonzi spoke about the government's vision of Gozo as an ecological island based on the island's distinct features.
On the promised cruise liner buoy outside Xlendi Bay, Dr Gonzi said the bids received after the Malta Maritime Authority had issued a call in March were not fully compliant. As a result, the MMA had to start another process and negotiate with each of them to see what changes needed to be made. The buoy would provide a berthing facility for cruise liners of to 200,000 tonnes and 130 metres long.
Dr Gonzi mentioned the MMA's recommendation to have a temporary yacht marina outside the Mġarr breakwater.
This was included in the document the government issued for the privatisation of the yacht marinas now being managed by the MMA. With regard to roads, Dr Gonzi said that after the investment of €11.9 million on road projects, the government was in the process of starting work on another two roads, which would cost €9 million: Xlendi Road and the road leading to Ta' Pinu.