The Gozo of today is a far cry from yesterday’s static crib. With all the projects and activities we have in hand, we are securing a better living for future generations.
It is most encouraging to note that Gozo today provides five per cent of Malta’s national economic value and is a protagonist in Malta’s success as one of the best performing economies in the eurozone in terms of economic growth, job creation and fiscal management. This rapid economic growth is being fuelled by tourism and economic and financial services and Gozo has both benefitted from and contributed to this growth.
Despite all the tunes of destructive criticism, the Gozo Ministry’s role under a Labour administration has been to alleviate the double insularity challenges that have been stunting the island’s growth and putting forward complimentary but distinct economic proposals to those of mainland Malta. Such a strategy could not work without good governance and a clear vision, and therefore my Ministry was a catalyst in the creation of the Gozo Regional Development Authority. Its role is to ensure the proper coordination and efficient implementation of policies and measures aimed at generating development in the short, medium and long term with the participation of key partners in business who believe in the future of Gozo and are willing to contribute to – and share in – its success.
Labour’s vision
Gozo is benefitting significantly from EU funding through various programmes. Part of our success is being achieved through the creation of a vibrant ecosystem that fits within the Ministry’s vision for the island. This vision is perhaps best captured by the words ‘idyllic’, ‘connected’ and ‘innovative’. Idyllic because we aim to showcase Gozo’s rich environmental and cultural heritage. Connected because without adequate connectivity, economic growth is stunted and innovative because it refers to the future that we are building together for Gozo. Our aim is to showcase Gozo as a destination that offers traditional cultural experiences blended with innovative modern economic activities in a sustainable environment that offers diverse experiences that suit all types of visitors to our shores.
The research and innovation hub, along with the SME's hub, are two landmark projects that have been pushed forward to incentivise companies and investors to choose Gozo as their location of choice. These projects are aimed at attracting foreign investment and securing new jobs for Gozitans. We focus to provide appropriate infrastructure and modernisation, thus increasing innovative activity and helping to sustain the island as an ideal location for investment.
Another main project is Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry that have teamed up with the Government of Malta to establish a medical school in Gozo. A campus is being built that should provide state-of-the-art and high-level teaching facilities. Steward Healthcare, the largest hospital operator in the United States, will be responsible for developing a medical hub at the Gozo Hospital, offering excellent medical services to both the local community and visitors.
Direct investment
In order to attract further investment to the island, for the past few years the Labour Government has been offering fiscal incentives to employers who create new jobs in the private sector. Employers who contract the services of an employee for three years or more, are refunded 30 per cent of the employee’s average salary to a maximum of €6,000. Furthermore, the Micro Invest Scheme encourages entrepreneurs to invest, innovate and expand their business on the island, by giving a tax credit equivalent to 65 per cent of eligible expenditure with a cap of €70,000.
The Gozo Ministry is constantly supporting all such measures and it is a major priority for us to nurture all initiatives by implementing the necessary infrastructure. All our workforce is directed to work in tune with this vision and this is yet another way to empower our staff to personally own the Ministry's line-up of initiatives and projects. Towards this end I never hesitate to bring them to the drawing board, while encouraging and promoting further personal training which, in turn, enriches those in the public service in their expertise to work in tandem with private entrepreneurs’ goals.
Tourism is vital
Over and above all such industrial activities, tourism has always been and will remain the main economic activity on the island. Gozo offers a serene, unspoiled rural environment brimming with a rich cultural heritage, innovative touristic experiences and excellent quality services that have been lauded at European level.
In less then 24 months, the Ministry’s unprecedented line-up of popular events, hand-in-hand with all stakeholders, have quickly projected the island as an all seasons destination. It offers the visitor a rich cultural calendar that is suited to all tastes and age groups. All this is thanks to the hard work of my team at the Ministry and our ongoing insistence on providing the highest level of service to the people visiting our shores.
Tourist figures over the past two years have been most encouraging, but we are incessantly aiming to achieve quality over quantity. The kind of service we offer is what makes Gozo stand out as a different and distinct tourist destination. Sustainable tourism is also high on our agenda. In fact, Gozo has been named the ‘Best sustainable destination in the Mediterranean’ by the International Tourism Annual Bureau and its clean waters, heritage sites and the eco-Gozo 2020 strategy, were all cited by Green Destinations when awarding Gozo top place as an island-region.
Projects in the pipeline that will help Gozo flourish and grow economically are the undersea tunnel that is expected to be operational by 2024, a fast ferry service, new port infrastructures and air connectivity that will help in the efficient mobility of people and goods. Economists who closely follow Gozo's current scenario strongly believe that the impact of these improvements is expected to create a 10 per cent growth because of a shorter travel time between the islands. The tunnel project is considered to be an important addition to the sustainable development plan for Gozo because it does not ignore the environment and is expected to achieve positive effects for both the island’s and the national economy as a whole.
Gozo in the Mediterranean
Last Saturday I had the honour of chairing a round table conference on the island of Capri, hosted by the mayor and the municipality of the picturesque island across the renowned Gulf of Naples. The aim of this meeting was to discuss the promotion of the two islands as eco- sustainable destinations, despite the challenges brought about by our insularity and connectivity issues.
Gozo and Capri are unique islands on the geo-physical periphery of the European Union, united by characteristics that make them similar to each other in that both are cut off from the mainland by the sea. In geo-political jargon, they are in fact defined as ‘minor’ islands, but they enjoy undeniable appeal and, for different reasons, are considered to be iconic for tourism purposes. In fact the meeting in Capri was also meant to create better ways of cooperation and sharing experiences.
As Minister for Gozo I highlighted the strategies that are in place to help alleviate connectivity issues. I also promoted Gozo as a destination rich in culture, tradition and heritage, emphasised the importance of conserving our natural habitat and spoke about our strategy to provide all-year-round quality events that are fast eradicating seasonality. At the end of our discussion I extended my invitation to the Mayor of Capri to visit our island so that he could see firsthand how we are promoting our island as a unique, stand-alone destination.
The event was supported by the Maltese Embassy in Italy and the Malta Tourism Authority and was part of the calendar of activities of the Napoli Incontra Association. As in all my other commitments abroad, together with my team I always make sure to promote Gozo as a unique tourist destination in its own right with distinct characteristics from mainland Malta.