The government last year created 44 new opportunities for Gozitan government employees, who previously had to commute daily to perform their duties in government offices in Malta, bringing the total to 113 Gozitans transferred to Gozo since 1999. This conforms with a policy which entails the transfer of government back-office work in Gozo, so that more of these workers can be deployed in Gozo, rather than in Malta.

Gozo Minister Giovanna Debono yesterday visited a recently set-up office, where the payroll of all those employed in government service, together with treasury pensions, are being processed and issued. Mrs Debono also visited the new civil registration and validation data inputting section, the new salaries health section, the consumer affairs section and the Inland Revenue call centre – sections that were all transferred to Gozo in 2007.

She explained how, through the coordination of the Directorate General (Operations) within the Gozo Ministry, it has been possible to target specific functions which may be performed through back-offices in Gozo.

The 44 government employees who were transferred to offices in Gozo in 2007, process information related to various entities on a national basis. Previously set up back-office sections include the government information service 153 – that has been attending to calls and enquiries since 2006, as well as the Public Registry data inputting section, the Department of Social Security and other salaries sections. The transfer of more back-office work from Malta to Gozo was one of the measures announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi during the presentation of Budget 2007.