The Gozo Business Chamber's view on the Budget
The Gozo Business Chamber looks with satisfaction at the economic progress being registered by the country and will continue to strive so that the island region of Gozo will achieve the same economic performance as that of the whole nation. Gozo needs particular attention and specific incentives targeted at attracting investment to the island and helping the businesses already operating to succeed.
The Chamber would like to note some positive measures which this Budget has introduced namely those related to help being given to patients and their carers to travel to Malta, assisting students to find adequate residences and reimbursing government workers and those in the private sector with part of their travel expenses.
It also noted that government has retained the favourable rate of 2% tax on the transfer of property, which has been an instigator of property transfers over the last year.
The Chamber notes also government's pledge to have the Barts School finished and accepting new students and the project being undertaken at Hondoq ir-Rummien so that Gozo will have better quality water.
As one of the foremost promoters of the subsea tunnel between Gozo and Malta, the Chamber notes with satisfaction that the Budget speech reports that a seminar was held in September where the results of the geological surveys conducted earlier on were communicated. The Chamber would be pleased to know what were these results and will be insisting with the relevant authorities to have this information communicated publicly.
The Chamber would have wished that government shows more commitment in the acquisition of a fourth ferry to ply between the two islands, the fast ferry service and an airline. Moreover, the Chamber feels that government is not doing enough to better the road infrastructure on the island or for the provision of better parking facilities to serve Gozo's main retail concentration in Victoria.
We feel that Gozo can perform better and participate more fully in the generation of wealth being created in Malta, if businesses on the island are given adequate tools to make up for the additional costs and other handicaps related to double insularity.