Malta Budget 2021 – GUG thoughts and reflections

On 19 October, the Minister for Finance Prof. Edward Scicluna delivered Malta’s Budget for the coming year. Here are some of the propositions that were made during such meeting which directly relate to Gozitans and students.

• The long-anticipated Fast Ferry service between Malta and Gozo, which has been promoted and put forward uninterruptedly by GUG, was promised to start its operation as soon as all the difficulties are ironed out. This service is of utmost importance not only to students but also to Gozitans as it would render the daily commute between the two islands effortless in various ways.

• The fourth Gozo Channel Ferry is set to become permanent after a call for offers is issued.

• Another round of €100 government vouchers will be re-distributed to all 16-year-olds and above residing on our islands by the end of this year, yet this time with a difference; €60 will be allocated to restaurants and accommodation while the remaining €40 can be used in retail outlets.

• Free Internet Access for a year to all students who continue their studies after the age of 16, that is after completing secondary. In addition to this, government also proposed that there will be an increase in stipends according to pro-rata.

• Regeneration works of Gozo’s main arterial roads was among government’s proposals for the upcoming year. An ingenuity which is being proposed is that of enriching tourist attractions with mosaic murals, together with other decorative features which are to be introduced in Blue Lagoon, Comino.

• With regards to the tunnel between Malta and Gozo, it is being said that after completion of the first phase (out of three) of a pre-qualification questionnaire, the next step is that of finding a concessionaire who will be almost fully responsible for this project.

• A new sports complex for the University of Malta is another project in the government’s pipeline. This will include facilities for performing a vast array of sports, ranging from a fullsize football ground to an Olympic track. Furthermore, more facilities will also be built at MCAST.

• Another fruitful enterprise, which is being put forward by government, is that of transforming Villa Lauri, located in Birkirkara, into an accommodation for students.

• Works on the Gozo Aquatic Centre are planned to continue in the coming months.

• Government is generating new promising opportunities with the introduction of the second fibre optic cable, the Innovation Hub in Xewkija and also the Astronomical Observatory, which is being planned in Nadur. Moreover, government has in mind a number of projects that suggest and promote our island as a green island, in light of sustainable development.

• Employment Schemes benefitting Gozitan workers will be improved and enhanced. These include the Employment Refund scheme, the Teleworking S=scheme and the MICE scheme, among others.

The Agricultural and Fishery sectors are also being promised various incentives which will in turn enrich these sectors. On behalf of the Gozo University Group committee, we are pleased to hear about the permanent allocation of the fourth Gozo Channel ferry, something which will enable the commute between the two islands to take place in a more efficient manner.

The Fast Ferry Service is something which we, as a Gozitan organisation, have been discussing and encouraging for the past years. Seeing that it has been mentioned in this year’s Budget encourages us to keep working hard on such issues. We look forward to seeing the fast ferry crossing the channel in the near future as this was and is an issue which has been promised since the start of this legislature.

We expect that the introduction of the second fibre optic cable comes without delay as it will increase job opportunities in Gozo.

By contrast, we are quite dispirited to hear of no proposals regarding crucial issues which relate to students. One of our concerns is how students are not allowed to work over 20 hours a week for them to be eligible to the stipend since some find it financially difficult to keep up with all the expenses.

We also expected some extra incentives to help Gozitan students in their daily travel to Malta which will facilitate their continuation of studies in Malta.

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