The Labour Party’s resounding victory with a majority of 36,000 votes in the last election weighs heavily on the same government’s responsibility to administer and change according to its promises in the electoral manifesto.

In the sister island, the Gozitans also voted for change. For the first time in more than 50 years, the electoral votes translated into a majority of members of parliament for the incumbent government. I am Gozitan myself and do understand the Gozitans’ conservative mentality, thus this majority speaks solely for itself. The Gozitan voter voted for change then change it is.

Politicians from the Nationalist camp echoed the mantra that Gozo is theirs by right or that Gozo is naturally Nationalist. Gozo is neither Nationalist nor Labourite. Gozo and its people consider the island an extension of Malta with all its needs, wants and desires. It is not Malta or Gozo but Malta and Gozo. The result of the last election conveys a message to the past rulers of Gozo that the potential of the sister island is much more and should at least have the same standards as those enjoyed by their Maltese brothers and sisters.

However, Gozo under the past administration had not fully enjoyed and explored its potential. We do know however that current Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has big plans for this island. The promise of jobs for Gozitans in Gozo is probably the statement that resonates most. In economic terms, the previous administration contended that most Gozitans had to travel to Malta to seek work. This system was imbued in Gozitan mentality that children have to relocate to Malta to start a career there.

This way of life is changing Gozo’s demographic structure for good. First and foremost, the export of labour to other territories is creating a brain drain from the local economy. Subsequently, the loss of hundreds of workers results in lower domestic consumption for the Gozitan economy. Bottom line is that the Gozitan economy shrinks over time, resulting in endemic structural problems for the future growth of the island.

Again, in economic terms, it was wise that the current Prime Minister promised to embark on a strategy to create jobs directly in Gozo. People and markets respond to incentives. As such we need to create the right socio-economic strategy to balance the flawed economic equations of the previous administration politics for the island of Gozo.

In its electoral manifesto, the promises for the island of Gozo are straightforward. Back then, the Labour Party in the Opposition benches analysed and understood very well the main misgivings and obstacles that are inhibiting Gozo’s real potential. The idea that Gozo is a mere island contributing in some way to Malta’s overall Gross Domestic Product lacks ambition and indirectly classifies Gozo as just an addition to the Maltese Islands.

The Labour Party has an ambitious plan for Gozo. I presume at this initial stage of this legislature that the government is sowing the right seeds for the future economic growth of the island. The previous administration’s financial and economic strategy of subsidizing Gozitans has its limitations. Besides this, the present government has promised to create the right economic and financial environments for foreign investors to invest directly in Gozo.

Gozo as a small region has special needs. As such, the island requires special attention. Other EU countries have successfully aided regions within them to improve regional disparities.

To name just two examples. Upon accession to the EU, Portugal established the Madeira Free Trade Zone, a region poorer than the country’s average, to boost growth and facilitate trade between the country and North African countries. Nowadays the number of companies established in the zone is 2,900 and employs 1,600 workers.

The Katowice Special Economic Zone is another success story of such a strategy. It complied with the EU state aid framework and the area attracted investments mainly in the automotive and high tech industries employing around 9,000 workers.

This is the strategy that we need to embark on. This government announced in last week’s budget that an €8 million project will begin next year to create an SME park in Gozo which will host 39 businesses.

Gozo has to realize its full potential in the years to come. The electoral manifesto for Gozo has the right ingredients that will definitely place it as a centre of excellence. Moreover, all Gozitan citizens will benefit from the macro spillover that future growth will spearhead.

I hope that previous decision makers in Gozo will someday realize that Gozo is for all and not for the few. On a micro level, many Gozitans were disenchanted with the way of doing things on the island. It is up to the Labour government to create the right balance between growth and investment and ensuring the island’s development in a sustainable way.

Clint Camilleri is an architect and a Labour Party candidate in the forthcoming European Parliament elections