Gozo Minister Giovanna Debono said yesterday that over the last four years, her ministry had focused in particular on job creation, economic activity, including tourism, education opportunities for children and young people, the social and health sectors, as well as the environment.

Giving a presentation of her ministry’s fourth year of work in this legislature, Mrs Debono said that there are 105 employees in Gozo today for every 100 employed in 2008.

“The number of jobs increased because we worked for them together with the private sector. Over the last four years, Gozitan employers asked the Employment and Training Corporation to provide them with 2,290 workers, and the ETC found jobs for 700 people by means of direct placements.”

Mrs Debono went on to say that almost 4,000 workers attended ETC courses and 700 women and mothers who kept their jobs benefited from the one-year income tax reduction scheme.

So far, 230 Gozitan business owners benefited from the Microinvest scheme; having invested €2 million, they will save more than €1 million in income tax, said the minister.

She went on to talk about maintenance in schools and the construction of a new secondary school for 700 students. Gozo now also has a new Institute for Tourism Studies premises and new facilities at the two centres of the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology and the Gozo University campus. The number of students who go to university has doubled over 10 years, said Mrs Debono.

She also spoke about the new radiology section at the Gozo hospital, the breast screening programme, and the possibility of CT scans now being carried out in Gozo.

The minister then talked about the roads sector, the creation of more open spaces for families and the Ċittadella restoration project, among others.

On the environment sector, Mrs Debono said natural resources are being used in a better way as the government seeks to turn Gozo into an ecological island. A number of valleys were cleaned, dams were repaired and new reservoirs were built.

As for the tourism sector, the ministry increased the amount of marketing, cruise liners stopped close to Gozo and the island is acknowledged as a popular destination among divers, said Mrs Debono, adding that there was also an increase in the number of spaces for vehicles on the Gozo Channel ships.

Finally, the minister spoke about the social sector, saying that the first centre to help families experiencing difficulties was set up, the Homestart programme was introduced, the Santa Marija centre for people with disability was opened, and the personalised services for elderly people were improved.

Reacting, the Opposition’s spokesman for Gozo said GonziPN has not been meeting Gozitan people’s expectations. The government has failed in the employment sector, said Dr Refalo, adding that Gozitans want jobs in Gozo itself. More than 600 people are currently registering for work and about 11,000 are inactive, while 20 per cent only have a part-time job.

The Gozitan economy is unsustainable because the island hasn’t been attracting enough foreign investment. Of the €27 million in Malta Enterprise funds, Gozitan businesses only got €240,000, and exports from the Xewkija industrial estate decreased from 30 per cent to 10 per cent.

He also spoke about the problem of accessibility, saying that the PL’s vision is to link Gozo with the rest of Europe with a view to attracting more investment.

On the lack of planning with respect to infrastructural projects and roads, Dr Refalo appealed to the government to suspend work on the Żewwieqa project during the summer months.

The Labour MP also criticised the government for the way it dealt with the elderly care sector, saying that there isn’t a single residence for the elderly, meaning that couples would have to be separated from each other as they are taken to different hospitals.

Dr Refalo also spoke about the health sector and the education sector. He spoke about the need to invest in more full-time teachers and said the PL believes exams should be held in Gozo. There needs to be investment in niches such as creative industries, IT and financial services in Gozo, he said, adding that the island could also develop a niche economic sector by attracting foreign students.

On the Eco-Gozo concept, the Labour spokesman noted that available funds are not being used in the best possible way. The PL expected new roads to be equipped with technologies that use alterative energy, for instance, said Dr Refalo.

He said the difference between GonziPN and the PL is that while the government makes promises, discusses matters, but does nothing about them – except for a few months before an election – the Labour Party discusses matters, makes decisions and delivers, concluded the Labour MP.