From Not. J. L. Attard

Last month the government started exploring the idea of setting up an MCESD regional committee for Gozo. My first thought when I heard the news was that finally Gozo is being given the needed attention. To understand the importance of this news one must first of all know what the MCESD stands for and what it serves. An Act of Parliament established the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development (MCESD) in 2001 as a body corporate having a distinct legal personality. Its mission statement is to be a Consultative and Advisory Body to Government on issues relating to the sustainable economic and social development of Malta, while providing a forum for consultation and social dialogue between social partners and, where necessary, with Civil Society organisations.

Certainly to attain this mission, the Council in all its actions, whether undertaken on specific request by the government or on its own initiative, seeks to reconcile individual sectoral considerations to achieve the overriding national interest. During the past seven years I hardly ever heard the mentioning of word Gozo in the MCESD agenda. In fact, way back in 2001 the Gozo business chamber called for representation on MCESD. The chamber protested against its exclusion from the MCESD, following the publication of the legal notice in which it did not list the chamber among the eight unions and constituted bodies on the council. Further, the General Workers’ Union was given two representatives.

The then GBC president John Magro said: “We do not want to take anybody’s place, but feel it is grossly unfair that there is nobody on the council to represent the specific interests of Gozo.” In fact, the Nationalist Government was living a contradiction vis-à-vis its own policy, the reason being that while the government itself believed that Gozo needed to be represented in Cabinet through a minister to ensure that Gozo’s specific interests were well represented in the highest executive forum of the country, it was excluding the voice of Gozo from the MCESD.

The problem dragged on for so long that less than a year ago, in 2007, the Gozo Business Chamber (GBC) together with the Gozo Tourism Association (GTA) called again for representation of the island in the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development. The two constituted bodies this time also urged the need to be represented in Brussels so that they could be updated on the latest European Commission measures that could affect Gozo.

It is thanks to the newly appointed Gozitan Parliamentary Secretary Dr Chris Said that things seem to have started moving in the right direction. In my opinion, when the MCESD Gozo committee is set up it should start exploring the ways to bring about the change needed in the Gozitan economy, especially to reduce its dependence on seasonal tourism. Secondly, the Committee must encourage the government to improve connections between the islands and also encourage the introduction of more accountability in the civil sector. I am convinced that Dr Said has at heart the future of the young Gozitan generation; being himself relatively young he understands our needs and most importantly Gozo’s needs. Dr Said had already proved his capabilities as an administrator when he was the mayor of Nadur. One only needs mention the organisation of the Nadur Carnival as proof. I don’t want to sing any personal praises but I wish him good luck in his new job and to use it in the best interests of Malta, but with special attention to Gozo, his constituency, and more importantly, our common homeland.

Not. Joseph Louis Attard

XAGHRA