The 2025 budget has left Gozitans disheartened, furthering doubts about Gozo's place in Malta's vision for the future. Despite repeated promises, this budget brings no relief to the island's fundamental needs, highlighting a deep-seated imbalance in priorities. Essential areas like infrastructure, healthcare, and economic opportunity remain neglected, leaving Gozo more isolated from Malta's development than ever before.
A prime example of this neglect is the Marsalforn breakwater project. People have been discussing the project, which protects Marsalforn's seaside community from winter storms, for years. Beyond safeguarding against severe weather, the breakwater would secure safe berthing for fishers and boaters, boosting tourism in the area. While millions have gone to similar projects on mainland Malta, Marsalforn's breakwater remains stalled. This delay has left the community vulnerable to winter storms, highlighting a stark prioritisation gap. For Marsalforn, this is not just a breakwater; it's a promise of safety and economic stability, continually postponed.
The Gozo Sports Centre, once envisioned as a community anchor for health and youth engagement, now symbolises fiscal mismanagement. Years of delays have pushed its cost over €20 million - more than twice the original €9 million budget. Funds wasted on cost overruns could have supported smaller infrastructure and community projects across the island. Gozitan youth and athletes deserve facilities that match their potential, yet this prolonged delay has eroded public trust in the government's commitment to Gozo. Each setback reinforces the perception that Gozo's priorities lie far from the administration's attention.
Similarly, the Gozo Museum project, aimed at celebrating the island's rich heritage, has experienced a cost increase of over €4 million from an initial €1.2 million, with insignificant progress achieved. For Gozitans, this museum was supposed to be a cultural hub honouring their history and offering a destination for both locals and tourists. Instead, it remains incomplete, with costs continually escalating. This neglect starkly contradicts the government's claims of valuing Maltese heritage, causing Gozitans to question the significance of their history and culture compared to that of mainland Malta.
Infrastructure, however, is where this budget's neglect of Gozo is most visible. The Manikata road, a vital commuter route between Malta and Gozo, remains in disrepair despite being excluded from former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat's €700 million road project promise. Now, with limited resources, the Gozo Ministry and Minister of Infrastructure Malta bear responsibility for maintaining this essential road network. As demand grows, the strain on Gozo's infrastructure intensifies, yet the budget offers no additional support. This selective approach to Muscat's road promise underlines the consistent neglect Gozo faces, further marginalising the island's infrastructure compared to improvements across Malta. Such persistent neglect harms not only Gozitan residents but also diminishes Gozo's appeal as a visitor destination, curtailing its growth potential.
The situation worsens when considering Gozo's crucial transport link: the Gozo Channel ferry service. Gozitans now depend on outdated and high fuel consumption vessels because of the ferry service's shortcomings, resulting in inefficiency and high costs. Yet, the budget makes no provisions for modernising the fleet. Instead, the authorities have left residents and visitors with a 33-year-old leased Greek ferry, which costs approximately €14,000 daily and frequently experiences technical issues. For many Gozitans, the ferry represents a daily lifeline to Malta for work, education, and healthcare. The absence of any plan to upgrade this essential service reveals a disregard for the basic needs of Gozo's residents, who rely on it for mobility and connectivity.
The state of the Mgarr and Cirkewwa (south) ferry terminals further confirms this neglect. Both terminals, critical for handling the daily flow of residents, tourists, and goods, crucially need expansion, particularly to accommodate more vessels and meet seasonal tourist surges. Yet, the budget allocates nothing for these much-needed upgrades. Modernising the terminals would enhance the commuter and visitor experience, making travel smoother, faster and more efficient, but the government's lack of attention leaves these hubs outdated and overburdened.
Victoria, the bustling centre of Gozo, suffers from severe traffic congestion and a chronic shortage of parking. But the budget neglects to address these persistent issues, even though they affect residents and deter visitors. Daily gridlock and parking scarcity do more than frustrate residents-they stifle economic activity and deter tourists, further limiting the island's potential. Investing in improved traffic flow and parking solutions would elevate the island's infrastructure, but the administration's silence on these needs reflects a broader disregard for Gozo's growth and accessibility.
Healthcare also remains a sore point for Gozo, with the silence on the hospital project in this year's budget especially troubling. Once seen as a cornerstone for addressing Gozo's health needs, the hospital project has now stagnated amid controversy surrounding the €400 million Vitals scandal. Newly appointed Health Minister Joe Etienne Abela, himself a Gozitan, has taken on the challenge of addressing Gozo's ailing healthcare system with little financial support from the budget. He helped to provide Gozo General Hospital with a state-of-the-art MRI machine, thus minimising the hassle of Gozitans having to cross over to Malta for related scans. But the recent budget complicated things further. The reduction of €6 million in Gozo hospital capital expenditure is almost impossible to make meaningful infrastructural works. The government's lack of investment casts doubts on its commitment to the island's well-being, leaving Gozitans worrying about their healthcare future.
The government's ongoing practice of increasing public sector employment in Gozo only deepens its economic dependency. Rather than addressing underlying issues that could spur private-sector growth, the administration has perpetuated a cycle of reliance on government jobs. This approach provides immediate relief but stifles long-term economic sustainability. What Gozo truly needs is support for private-sector investment and entrepreneurship-initiatives that encourage economic self-sufficiency and job creation outside of the public sector. Failing to promote these growth-oriented policies, the government traps Gozitans in a pattern of dependence, denying them quality job opportunities and economic freedom.
As election season looms, Gozitans are wary of promises that resurface whenever votes are at stake. It's a familiar cycle: Gozo gets praised and courted before elections, only to be forgotten afterward. This budget reflects a government that sees Gozitans as electoral assets rather than citizens with legitimate needs. Genuine commitment to Gozo's development would go beyond political promises and address the island's issues with respect and intent. Gozitans are growing increasingly tired of watching the same promises resurface with no real action, and this budget seems to deepen that frustration.
Gozitans value constructive criticism to hold their leaders accountable. This year's budget, however, reflects an administration that appears disconnected from the reality of Gozo's needs-whether in infrastructure, healthcare, or economic sustainability. Gozo deserves to thrive as an equal partner in Malta's future, not linger as an afterthought. It's time for a government that sees Gozo as a respected partner and addresses its needs with true investment, planning, and action.
Until the government backs its promises with real investment, Gozitans will keep pushing for the respect and resources they deserve. Gozitans have waited long enough to see their island prosper, sustained by policies that recognise its vital role in Malta's progress. It's time for a budget-and a government-that doesn't just talk about Gozo, but truly builds it into the nation's vision for a prosperous future.