Living in small communities often creates a strong sense of belonging. People generally feel that their future is highly dependable on the actions or inactions of other members of the community. What one does is perceived to be relevant to the well-being of others. However, this also means that people have strong views on almost everything that happens, because they believe that even small changes can have consequences on their life.

We can attest to such reaction in almost every aspect of our daily community lives. From the erection of a monument in a village square to an opening of a road, from the embellishment of a public space to infrastructural work there is always a differing view that voices its concerns. 

This is not to say that differing views are an impediment to development. It is often the case that they serve a very important purpose: that of presenting a worst case scenario, which the policy maker can take into consideration when formulating his or her decision. At times, they also present alternatives that might have not been taken into account.

The criteria through which the different views are based are not constant through time. They change along the years, reflecting the evolving priorities of the members of the community. At times, the priorities might be generating employment while at times the preservation of the natural environment is deemed as fundamental to a sustainable path.

Very often, the priorities are also indicative of the current state the community finds itself in. At times, when the economic environment is stagnant and employment opportunities are challenging, the overall well-being of the community tends to favour measures that remove these obstacles. On the other hand, when people don’t have to worry about the immediate future, they will put more value on intrinsic belongings. In a way, it is a kind of trade-off.

Since the change in administration, the economic prospects of the country have improved significantly. At the moment, Malta is recording one of the highest growth rates of economic expansion in the whole European Union. Employment growth is going from strength to strength with the unemployment rates at historical low levels. Investment is propelling our economy forward and Gozo has benefitted from all of this.

However, one ought to keep in mind that Gozo has started from lower levels. Prior to 2013, productive investment inflows was something considered almost impossible. In less than three years, we proved that investment can be attracted to our island. It is already bearing fruit in terms of employment opportunities.

Now, we are looking to the next step. It says a lot that there is broad agreement that it would be beneficial for Gozo to be physically connected to the main island. The case for a tunnel enjoys support across the whole community, and such agreement is rather uncommon. The same can be said of the digital connection which is equally important for the long-term prospects of our island.

But it also throws light on our way of looking at things. As a community, we are always looking forward to the next challenge. Despite our ability to disagree and our tendency to view actions by others as detrimental to our well-being, we still look forward with confidence.

As an Administration, we are determined to deliver on these. We are not naive and we are aware of these present immense difficulties, but at the same time we know that the long-term development of Gozo cannot succeed without them. As we have proved that investment can be attracted to Gozo after long decades, we can prove that these projects can be done. As we have proved that employment opportunities can be created in Gozo, we are confident that these game-changing projects are possible.

What was not achieved in 25 years can be achieved in a few years. The inertia has been beaten and the momentum to make a real difference to the lives of Gozitans will only increase. 

Dr Refalo is the Minister for Gozo