Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi yesterday told Gozo businessmen they would remain “privileged” to compensate for their island’s double insularity.

Speaking during the first Gozo meeting of the Enterprise Consultative Council – a mechanism between the government, public entities and the business community – Dr Gonzi said that, over the past years, the government invested heavily in Gozo and its infrastructure through millions of euros from the EU and national funds.

The money was injected directly into Gozo’s economy.

He noted that Gozitan businessmen participated heavily in the Micro Invest Scheme operated by Malta Enterprise, so much so that among the 1,600 participants, 400 companies came from Gozo.

Turning to education, Dr Gonzi said more than 1,500 Gozitan students had graduated in various disciplines.

Referring to the idea of an underwater tunnel connecting the two islands, Dr Gonzi said that the government was still considering the project and initial studies are positive.

However, more had to be done before a final decision was taken to establish whether the multi-million euro project was feasible.