Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said recently that a tunnel linking Malta to Gozo is the most viable option when it comes to a permanent link between the two islands.

Addressing a conference in Gozo, Dr Muscat said that while he agrees with the project, all the necessary studies need to be carried out first. It is also interesting to note what else came out of the conference, namely that the studies will take a long time to be completed and that a public-private partnership and a ferry service between the islands should be part of a national network.

This confirms my belief that money will not be found for the tunnel. To serve the needs of Gozo, this tunnel should consist of four lanes and a safe lane. What about maintenance costs? The Gozo Channel Company barely makes a profit. So I wonder how private enterprise will invest in this project and make a profit.

The ferry service can be a public-private partnership and it should be liberalised, allowing other companies to compete with Gozo Channel Company, not only to Ċirkewwa but also to Sliema, Pietà, the Grand Harbour and the south of Malta.

I have heard that the project to build an airport in Gozo – which would handle private jets – has been shelved. I think it would be better to develop the existing heliport into a small airport by doubling the length of the runway; this can be done without using agricultural land. I remember two brothers from the Shetland Islands telling me that every small island there has a small runway, and they wondered why Gozo did not.

If these people really think that such a huge sum of money can be invested in a permanent link which would then need expnsive maintenance all along, I invite them to propose projects for Gozo which benefit all the people of Gozo.

Such projects, which would cost a fraction of the sum needed for a tunnel, could include a family natural park like the one in Marsascala, possibly at Ħondoq; a public heated swimming pool, maybe at the site of the old Boys’ Secondary School; the embelllishment of Marsalforn, Xlendi and the centre of Victoria; the restoration of our old houses; and the protection of our villages and natural environment.