Gozitan companies will be able to benefit from €65,000 per annum in salary reimbursements from the newly launched Gozo Back Office Employment Refund Scheme, one of the main budget measures for this year.

The scheme is aimed at both foreign investment in Gozo as well as Maltese and Gozitan companies and, in turn, create quality and sustainable work in Gozo. 

During a press conference on Tuesday, Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri said that the main objectives of this scheme are to encourage private entities to extend, grow and invest in their operation on the Gozitan island.

"Following the difficulties encountered by the pandemic in certain economic sectors in Malta and abroad, Gozo has proved resilient. So, we are in a position to announce a scheme offering lucrative financial incentives. This is also a measure that strengthens the diversification of the economy on our country,” he explained.

New jobs in Gozo classified as Back Office as from 1 March 2020 will be able to reimburse salaries calculated according to the employee's wage. Each company can benefit from a maximum of €65,000 per annum from this scheme.  

Director of Tourism and Economic Development within the Gozo Ministry Ronald Sultana said that there are in fact three wage brackets wherein the higher the wage, the higher the reimbursement of the salary from which the company can benefit.

The amounts of salary reimbursements per worker range from a minimum of €4,500 to €8,000 per annum.  

Camilleri explained that while Gozo is building a strong reputation for an innovative island with modern infrastructure, this is not enough.

“As Gozo Minister I promise to continue raising the standard of what Gozo is able to offer in order to attract more external investment and foster more internal investment. I will continue to work on increasing employment opportunities in Gozo, for Gozo. I will continue to work so that Gozo has quality infrastructure not only in terms of roads but also technological, educational, sports and historical facilities".

This scheme was announced just weeks after the second fibre optic cable between Malta and Gozo was inaugurated which complements this measure.