Gozo needs a more diversified economy that creates more productive, private-sector and well-paid jobs, enabling young people and Gozitan workers to build their careers and their future in Gozo itself, Opposition and Nationalist Party leader Alex Borg said Saturday.
He was speaking during a meeting with the Gozo Regional Committee within the MCESD, during which the Gozo Regional Committee's (GRC) proposals for Budget 2027 and the economic vision for Gozo's future were discussed.
This first Opposition consultation meeting with the social partners ahead of the forthcoming Budget was held at the Santa Luċija Boutique Hotel in Ta' Kerċem and focused not only on the need for investment and capital projects, but also on productivity, talent, business, skills and governance in Gozo.
Borg said there is strong convergence between several of the proposals put forward by the Committee and the vision presented by the Partit Nazzjonalista for Gozo in its electoral programme. Among the areas where there is agreement are the expansion and upgrading of Mġarr Harbour, better connectivity through an environmentally friendly fleet financed through European funds, logistics infrastructure through a Logistics Hub, a new hospital for Gozo, the development of an Innovation Hub, economic diversification, greater investment in MCAST, the University campus and ITS, and effective regional status for Gozo.
The PN Leader said connectivity is essential to reduce the disadvantage caused by double insularity, but that it should be a means towards a broader objective: enabling Gozo to create more economic and professional opportunities of its own. "Those who travel to Malta for work should do so out of choice, not because they have no alternative in Gozo," Borg said.
Information presented by the Gozo Regional Committee shows that while the Gozitan economy grew from €615 million in 2020 to €993 million in 2024, its share of the national economy remained at around 4.3%. At the same time, the gap between the number of Gozitans in employment and the number of jobs actually located in Gozo is also growing.
The PN Leader said Gozo should continue strengthening traditional sectors such as tourism, while at the same time expanding activity in higher value-added sectors. This should go hand in hand with a stronger link between education and the economy, supported by greater investment in MCAST, ITS and the University campus in Gozo. He also spoke about the need for investment in roads, a solution to the traffic problem, and the need for capital expenditure allocated to Gozo in the Budget to increase rather than decrease.
"We do not want an economy that grows only on paper. We want an economy that enables more Gozitans to live, work and progress in Gozo," Alex Borg said, reiterating that regional status for Gozo should mean greater responsibility, long-term planning and a direct say in decisions affecting Gozitans.
For his part, Gozo Regional Committee President Michael Galea thanked the PN Leader for this opportunity and said the Committee believes in the importance of dialogue not only with the Government but also with the Opposition, which may eventually be called upon to govern the country. He said the objective of the Committee's proposals for Budget 2027 is to reach a point where Gozo contributes considerably more to the national economy than it does today.
He explained that the Committee's 30 proposals are spread across five main areas: connectivity and infrastructure; energy, the environment and climate change; health; economic diversification; and education and human capital. Michael Galea said the Gozitan economy is based on two traditional sectors - tourism and construction - in addition to its dependence on the public sector, and that greater diversification is needed because Gozo can contribute considerably more by moving into new sectors.
On connectivity, the Committee welcomes the fact that investment will be made in new vessels, but believes that before this happens, the Government should ensure investment in the expansion of Mġarr Harbour, improvements to Ċirkewwa Harbour, and the construction of a second road leading to Gozo's harbour. He also referred to the health sector, recalling that the hospital promised for many years remains only on paper. He said that with increases both in the size and age of the population, pressure on health services in Gozo will continue to rise, making a serious plan to address this issue necessary.
An open discussion was held during the meeting, during which members of the Regional Committee spoke about a number of sectors and the challenges being faced by the industries and organisations they represent.
Specific points raised included the problem of workers leaving the private sector to take up jobs with the Government; the need for Gozo itself to benefit directly from the eco-contribution collected from tourism in Gozo; the importance of Gozo's regional status so that Gozitans can take autonomous decisions on matters affecting them; and the resilience of the electricity system, with some members expressing concern that people booking hotels in Gozo are now asking for guarantees that they will not experience power cuts.
The Opposition delegation led by Alex Borg for this meeting included Shadow Minister for Finance Adrian Delia, Shadow Minister for Gozo Frank Anthony Tabone, and Gozitan MPs Beppe Galea and Norma Camilleri.
The Gozo Regional Committee delegation was led by President Michael Galea and Vice-President Joe Muscat and included representatives from all the organisations forming part of the Committee, which is an extension of the MCESD and covers a broader range of sectors across Gozo. These include the Gozo NGOs Association, GUG, GWU, GTA, Gozo Business Chamber, Malta Chamber of SMEs, CMTU, Local Councils, UĦM Voice of the Workers, Forum Unions Maltin, the Diocese of Gozo and the Ministry for Gozo.