Opposition leader Bernard Grech said that a regional council for Gozo with executive powers that would be elected by Gozitans should be created.

He called for more autonomy for Gozo and said that this would be beneficial as it would strengthen the regional status of the island, giving residents the power to take certain decisions rather than the power being centred in government.

During a Nationalist Party political gathering, held at the Grand Hotel in Mgarr, Gozo, Grech was addressing PN supporters about Gozo and what can be done to improve the island.

He added that Gozitans should be able to take decisions that mostly affect them and be in a position to execute them.

"Today, the Labour government fears the PN's growth in Gozo, so they decided to appoint three Gozitan ministers, however, do not give up as the public will choose wisely," Grech said.

He explained that the PN Gozo regional committee is to colloborate with Gozitan MPs but also include the participation of experts and anyone who wants to see Gozo move forward.

Grech insisted that "in a few months time, we must complete a socio-economic plan for Gozo in order to propose a way forward and show Gozitans where the Nationalist party wants to take them."

Speaking about the Gozo tunnel, Grech insisted that a decision on whether this is the best solution needs to be taken after all studies are concluded. He also suggested that once these studies are done, a referendum should take place among Gozitans regarding the decision on the tunnel.

"Such a development will be costly to build and run and it will leave a social, economic and environmental impact. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance to take this decision wisely," he said.

Grech greeted and thanked a few Goziton people who he admires for the work they have done including Former Gozo Ministers Giovanna Debono and Anton Tabone. He also congratuled former Gozo Bishop Mario Grech who was elevated to the rank of Cardinal on Saturday.

He added that "the situation in Gozo has worsened with regards to employment availability." Grech explained that despite the many promises made by the Labour government, first made back in 2013 - including the promise of increasing employment in Gozo for Gozitans -  "today we face a situation where around 3,500 Gozitans need to travel to Malta for work."

Back in 2013 this number was around 1,500, thus the situation has worsened and instead of taking a step forward, we've taken a step back as the number almost tripled, Grech said.

With regards to tourism, Grech highlighted that this sector is of extreme importance for the country, but "we cannot continue to solely, or almost exclusively, rely on tourism."

"Gozo's economy is 50% dependent on tourism, while Malta is 20% dependent. This imbalance was clearly seen and felt by Gozo and its residents during this pandemic because 50% dependence puts too much pressure on this sector, and Gozo has taken a much bigger blow. Therefore, we need a more diversified economy in Gozo," he said.

Grech added that this needs to be tackled by developing a solid and mature plan which looks beyond partisan policies. "This plan should not only be developed for the next five years, but we need to take it a step further and plan a future for the next 20, 30 or even 40 years."