We Gozitans consider ourselves as Maltese who happen to be born and live on the island of Gozo, a small island on the periphery that, along the years, has always been resilient and strived for its survival. We Gozitans are also convinced that Gozo is an island region with its own identity, characteristics and distinctiveness as well as with its own challenges.

However, as Gozitans, we would like the island to continue contributing towards the development of the whole nation. The Gozitans are eager islanders and aspire that Gozo continues to benefit from the development that Malta is achieving.

On the other hand, it must be ensured that this development would be sustainable and in conformity with the characteristics that distinguish the unique identity of the island of Gozo. We are keen to see Gozo develop, optimise and excel in particular segments and niches.

We believe that Gozo can attract more investment, which will create more and better job opportunities on our island.

However, we must ensure that our youngsters will have all possible opportunities to further enhance their studies and seek work both in mainland Malta and also overseas.

Nonetheless, those who eventually opt to would also be able to work in their homeland, Gozo.

These were some of the aspirations brewing in the minds of so many Gozitans who, along the years, worked so hard for the social and economic enhancement of their island.

These were also the same objectives behind the setting up of several regional structures and entities that were set up in and for Gozo like the Gozo Civic Council, the Gozo Administrative Secretary and the Ministry for Gozo as well as several constituted bodies, among them the Gozo Tourism Association, the Gozo Business Chamber and the Gozo Regional Committee.

Regional governance should be a process of decentralisation, which would support and expand sustainable regional development

While such entities were and are useful in the progress achieved so far, the time is ripe for Gozo to take another step forward towards its governance.

Gozo deserves regional governance. This governance should be a means of making and carrying out decisions related to the island. By regional governance we mean the process by which the Gozitan people will determine and pursue their collective ends, means and values.

This regional governance for Gozo must include several important elements, involving existing institutional structures on the island, the practices through which these structures interact and also other elements of regional capacity.

We perceive governance as a broader concept than government because it includes the processes by which us Gozitans govern ourselves.

This regional governance can be vested to a regional assembly that will be made up of the Gozitan members of the National Parliament, the mayors of all Gozitan localities and any future MEP from Gozo. Furthermore, this regional assembly should include the representation of non-governmental stakeholders, the constituted bodies, NGOs and civil society.

Such a set-up will represent a durable and high-performing place-based alliance of social, economic and political actors dedicated to Gozo’s development strategies that include growth and equity goals.

The common denominator of all these stakeholders is that they will be working towards policies or set of goals for the island region of Gozo. These stakeholders may not have the same motivations or aims but they would interact with one another to weigh alternative courses of action and to navigate their differences as they address a problem, opportunity or vision for Gozo.

Such a regional structure does not mean the abolition of the Ministry for Gozo.

On the contrary, this set-up should instigate a restructuring of the Ministry for Gozo, eliminating the personal grievance role and designate it as the vehicle that will implement the regional assembly’s policies and vision.

This regional governance should be a process of decentralisation, which would, at the same time, support and expand sustainable regional development.

Finally, it will enhance self-responsibility for the region of Gozo as a level of political coordination and which also strengthens the self-steering abilities of the sister island.

Joe Muscat is CEO of the Gozo Tourism Association.