'PN is the best government for Gozo'

Gozo Minister Giovanna Debono told Parliament yesterday that the PN was the best government for Gozo and the opposition's criticism, sometimes contradictory, continued to prove that it was not currently an alternative government. It was during the Labour stint of 1996-98 that the Ministry for Gozo had been downgraded to a parliamentary secretariat.

Speaking during the debate on the second reading of the Bill implementing the Budget measures, she said that the capital vote for this year had been trebled from 2008. For the next three years, €25 million would be available for the implementation of Eco-Gozo, which was the centre of all socio-economic activity to be undertaken by her ministry.

The Budget had been defined as one of the government's priorities addressing the challenges of insularity. She said this belied opposition criticism that the government had almost abandoned Gozo. Its commitment towards the island was also on a national basis, where Gozitans were being preferred in tax credits and government subsidies on solar water heaters.

During the year, further initiatives would be taken to strengthen the Gozo Ministry to cater for the island's needs. This year had already seen the start of the restructuring of the ministry, as promised in the PN electoral programme.

There would be new directorates, one to cater for tourism and another for economic development.

Such initiatives, Mrs Debono said, strengthened the ministry's administration and inter-ministerial consultation.

In the past, the ministry had worked hand in hand with the tourism sector, and this had resulted in synergy in favour of the product. The tourism directorate would provide the necessary tools to overturn negative effects of the international crisis.

Gozo had been guaranteed 10 per cent of the EU funds for the period 2004-07, and these had benefited all of the island, including farmers, entrepreneurs, local councils, religious entities and NGOs. The ministry's track record in this regard was a sound base for the second programming period for EU funds between 2007 and 2013, which would see the start or the continuation of arterial and principal roads, the upgrading of Villa Rundle, the waterfronts at Wied Żewwieqa, Xlendi and Mar-salforn, and health facilities such as the radiology unit and the new operating theatre at the Gozo hospital.

The funds would also serve to build a swimming pool, and other sports facilities would be added as an attraction to sport and health tourism.

Mrs Debono said that employment had always presented a particular challenge in Gozo, and the present scenario had exacerbated the situation. But the Eco-Gozo project was a vision for better job opportunities.

Additionally, Eco-Gozo represented the government's aspirations for Gozo's environmental, economic, social and cultural future, which would translate into a better quality of life and strengthen the island's identity.