Half of the Budget increase for Gozo will go to cover the increase in staff at the Gozo Ministry, according to Nationalist MP Giovanna Debono.
She was reacting to the Budget outside the main gate of the University of Malta, which hosts 1,200 Gozitan students out of the 10,000 total population.
Despite an increase of €3 million in the recurrent expenditure allocated for next year, the Budget for Gozo was “really poor”, she said.
“It is not the first time there was an increase, as the Nationalist administration increased the budget for Gozo year after year, once to the tune of €18 million in a single year,” she said.
However, half of this year’s €3 million increase will cover personal emoluments, which grew substantially with the increase in the number of people employed within the Gozo Ministry’s private secretariat.
In fact, there was a rise of 11 employees and two consultants from the private sector, Ms Debono said.
At the same time, the allocated capital expenditure – which covers projects – was reduced.
Comparing the Nationalist government’s expenditure in 2012 in this sector with that allocated by the current government for 2014, there was a decrease of €3 million. While €12.7 million was spent on Gozo (excluding the health and education sectors) last year, only €9.5 million has been allocated for 2014, she explained.
Speaking about employment, Ms Debono referred to Labour’s pledge of transferring Gozitan civil servants from Malta to Gozo, and pointed out that so far, only two had been transferred.
Meantime, the Government failed to set up new schemes to create jobs in Gozo.
PN general secretary Chris Said referred to accessibility between the two islands, questioning the need of a second feasibility study about a permanent link when the previous government had already carried out these studies.
He asked what the Prime Minister planned to do about the Chinese company hired for the studies, which it has transpired, was blacklisted.
Dr Said noted that the Gozo Blood Bank, which used to operate daily, including weekends, was opening only once a fortnight on Sundays.
In the meantime, the ECG (electrocardiography) technicians, who used to stay at the hospital until 7pm, are now completing their shift at 2pm.
Was this a cost-cutting exercise, he asked, adding that these decisions should be taken by the Gozo Ministry, and not other ministries.