While more positive results keep flooding in, the Labour Government is striving harder to sustain its current growth in all sectors and to secure a healthier inheritance for future generations.

In its January report, the International Monetary Fund noted that Malta remains one of the fastest- growing economies in Europe, owing to favourable economic conditions and sound policies that have led to structural reforms. Such rapid growth in 2017 was driven by export-oriented services and dynamic job creation which, according to the IMF, is expected to continue in the coming years. The IMF also noted that the fiscal position remained in surplus, supported by buoyant revenue and contained expenditure, while the current account in the Balance of Payments also remained in surplus.

Positive results and outlook

Next came the Central Bank's outlook for 2017-2020, in which it noted that Malta's economy is likely to grow faster than first expected over the next couple of years. It even revised its projections upwards and said it expected to see a 6.8 per cent growth in GDP this year.

The upward revision came on the back of what the bank called a 'positive surprise' in growth data for the third quarter of last year, which bumped GDP growth during 2017 to 7 per cent.

The Central Bank said its projections for the government balance were also looking better than first expected, with the debt-to-GDP ratio falling to 44.6 per cent by 2020. Some key projections the Central Bank has made for the period up to 2020 include domestic demand to replace net exports as the main driver of economic growth, projected output growth to outpace GDP in 2019 and 2020, wages to rise in 2018 by 3.5 per cent and the government budget to remain in surplus, while inflation is expected to rise slightly and settle at around two per cent.

It is most satisfying to note that such projections now predict Malta's debt-to-GDP to fall below 50 per cent - for the first time in more than 20 years. With such positive results in hand, the government needs to strive further to sustain the growth rate achieved over the past four years and secure its steady pace of implementing a fair distribution of the country's wealth through additional fiscal and social measures.

Gozo's fair share

Nearer to home, the additional 10 per cent in the budgetary allocation to the Ministry for Gozo can be seen in the long list of work being carried out around the island together with major new projects that are in the offing. Last week I announced that a series of projects will be getting underway to improve facilities for Gozitan fishermen in Mġarr harbour, at an estimated cost of €4 million. The work is being undertaken in collaboration with Transport Malta, and will involve dredging the seabed, upgrading the embankment and two slipways, the replacing of pontoons and the creation of new moorings.

With this project at Mġarr harbour, the government will implement another election commitment. The Gozo Ministry considers this project a priority and it was, in fact, immediately included in the first budget of this legislature. Dredging will facilitate both the direction of the water from the valley that runs alongside the port and make it easier for fishermen to manoeuvre their boats. The work to be done on the existing slipways will make them more accessible, helping fishermen to launching or bring in their boats.

A second phase of the project will consist of the replacement of the existing pontoons, which is long overdue, since these have been in use for many years. This will also increase the berths for Gozitan fishermen from the current 197 to 254. The whole project will eventually enhance the organisational logistics in the busy harbour area due to the constant increase we are witnessing in the ferry service.

Preserving our heritage

Another major project is the restoration and regeneration work on Tal-Ġordan Lighthouse which will begin shortly. This project was included in the first budget of this legislature, with the planned work to be carried out in several phases. Funds allocated for this first phase, which includes the restoration itself, will amount to €200,000. Apart from the restoration of the building - which is in a bad state - equipment and other items that have been abandoned on the site, and are part of the history of the lighthouse, will also be restored.

Tal-Ġordan Lighthouse is an icon on the island, standing 161 metres above sea level. Construction began in 1851, when the islands were still a British Colony, and the lighthouse became operational two years later. Despite today's advanced technology in terms of maritime navigation, the Ġordan Lighthouse is still to be treasured as part of the island's history and landscape.

It is our duty to protect the architectural and historical heritage of our island-region. In fact, I had insisted that this historical site be given immediate attention and it was included in the first budget announced by the government. Our aim is to have another tourist attraction that stands out not only for its historical value, but also because of the natural and environmental beauty that surrounds it. Once restored, it will also provide added value to the island as a recreational area for families.

Supporting Gozitan NGOs

This week I presented more than €70,000 in grants to volunteer organisations that applied and qualified for funding under the Gozo Ministry's non-Governmental Organisations Assistance Scheme in 2017. The scheme was introduced in Gozo last July as a regulated and transparent scheme, intended to help voluntary organisations implement projects, events and initiatives in Gozo for the benefit of the Gozitan community.

An encouraging 38 proposals were submitted to the selection board, out of which 16 were eventually chosen. These associations had to meet specific criteria as determined by both the Selection Board and the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector. During the presentation I invited all NGOs registered with the Office of the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations to take the opportunity and apply under the new 2018 scheme launched by the Gozo Ministry - basing the second edition on the success reached so far. Applications are open until noon on 28 February.

The scheme is primarily intended to encourage and support hundreds of volunteers to organise themselves in a legally-structured manner and plan their future initiatives in a professional way in order to qualify for state support through the Gozo Ministry. It is another tangible example of how we value the voluntary sector in its dedication to play a useful role in the community.

Park and ride proposal

The Gozo Ministry is also conducting a cost benefit analysis for the introduction of a Park & Ride facility to and from Mġarr Harbour. The initiative was among Labour's numerous election proposals and that I explained during the Budget 2018 debate last October.

The aim of the proposed park and ride facility is to alleviate some of the parking and traffic issues around Mġarr Harbour, therefore helping to ease the life of the daily commuters who must cross over to Malta for work and/or study on a daily basis. We intend sending a clear message that we mean business when referring to the need to resolve one of our daily problems for Gozitans.

Together with many others, these projects should sustain the excellent results achieved during the last seven months and add further trust within Gozitan families and businesses. Attaining positive outcomes is an encouraging experience indeed, but sustaining the positive tempo in the coming months and years is our commitment for the benefit of future generations.