I refer to Dr Anton Refalo’s letter published in your newspaper, Half-truths (TMID, 28 August). It seems that Dr Refalo has now taken it upon himself to mix facts and figures in his endeavour to spoil and belittle all that has been and is being achieved by the Gozo Ministry in recent years.

With reference to what the honourable member wrote in his contribution, may I assure Dr Refalo that in the press release issued by my ministry on 15 August, there was no intention whatsoever to “fool” either my “Gozitan constituents” or indeed all those who might read it. Quoting the same source of information which your contributor mentions in his writing, namely news releases 77/2007 and 128/2007 released by the National Statistics Office for the first quarter and the second quarter of 2007 respectively, under the section Regional Statistics one may find the following:

“Gozitan farmers [..] supplied 1.02 million kilograms of fruit and vegetables which amounted to nine per cent of the total supply. The supply and wholesale value of fresh fruit and vegetables rose by 18 per cent and 6.4 per cent respectively.

“Gozitan farmers supplied 1.33 million kilograms (+10.4 per cent) of fresh fruit and vegetables over the same period last year. The wholesale value of Gozitan produce increased by 12.6 per cent, from Lm0.24 million in the second quarter of 2006 to Lm0.27 million in the second quarter this year.”

The figures quoted in my ministry’s press release reflected the above. Nothing more, nothing less. It is Dr Refalo who unscrupulously bases his argument on comparisons between years he decides to pick and choose from as if facts were there to be juggled at his own free will!

Another inconsistency in Dr Refalo’s argument is when he blames Malta’s entry in the EU as “causing severe setbacks in the agricultural sector”.

It is not I but the farmers who confirm that EU membership has been

beneficial.

The considerable upgrades and structural improvements recently effected in Gozitan farms and fields through financial aids provided under several schemes certainly belie what the honorable member of Parliament tried to imply in his letter.

He conveniently ignored the fact that more than 4,500 applications from Gozitan farmers for different schemes were registered in 2006 in Gozo alone.

One has to conclude that Dr Refalo’s letter is yet another futile attempt to twist facts in order to gain cheap and quick political advantage. The Labour opposition has now become an expert in doing so.

Giovanna Debono

Gozo Minister