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This afternoon the Prime Minister, Dr Lawrence Gonzi, met up with the Gozo Business Chamber, where he talked about the recently launched Electoral Programme – and the special measures and proposals the PN Party had earmarked for Gozo.
Dr Gonzi explained how “Gozo has always been at the heart of the PN policies” and explained how 10% of the financial package coming from the EU will be allocated to Gozo. The Prime Minister said that 3 new proposals for Gozo were unveiled just a few weeks ago “and the Electoral Programme continues to focus on the strengthening of Gozo.”
“A PN Government over the next five years will strive to create more jobs in Gozo and the proposals are focused on bringing about more jobs and better quality jobs to the Gozitans. Any new business opening in Gozo will be tax exempt for a maximum of €200,000 over 3 years if employing 2 or more people,” the Prime Minister said. “A business centre will also be created to give space to IT companies, Financial Services, Gaming and other sectors who want to open up their business and operate in Gozo.”
“Help will also be given to the private sector to open up more 5 star hotels which will in turn create more jobs and increase tourism and schemes which add up to €300,000 will be granted to owners of holiday farmhouses for their renovations,” Dr Gonzi concluded.
Earlier in the afternoon the Prime Minister had toured the Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz, which since 2008 has carried out a number of projects, one of which, a specialised oriental spa, received part financing from the EU.
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Wrong things on the way Mr. Gonzi .
We don`t need more 5 or 4 Star Hotels . What we need are tourists !!!
But not your day trip buses !
We need cheaper flights from Europe !
There are only three companies – this is not enough competition .
And do you mean 10 % is enough for Gozo ?
Give 20 % – that will be fair !
I agree that we need more tourists…however my logic tells me that more tourists would require more beds;
Cheap flights to and from Malta are important. The result to date however seems that the impact of these low cost fares has increased figures of arrivals to Malta which in turn however only very marginally increased arrivals to Gozo. Moreover access to these low cost fares has to date meant that Maltese that normally tend to spend some time in Gozo are choosing to go abroad (accordingl to the Gozo Business Chamber). Therefore we still need to find the key for Gozo to benefit from these low cost fares.
Finally with regards to Gozo’s famous 10% share from the EU funds (no figures to date have however been forthcoming with regards to the veracity or otherwise of this statement), it is to be noted that such funds (structural, particularly the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and cohesion funds), are territorial in nature (road infrastructure for example) and therefore calculated in terms of territory rather than population. Now we know that Gozo and Comino add up to a littel less than a third of Malta. Which should mean that the share for Gozo and Comino should be of 33% rather than 10%.
Frank, please note that The Gozo Business Chamber never made the statement you referred to.
I’m sorry, my mistake…it was the Gozo Tourism Association http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130108/local/Low-cost-airlines-luring-Maltese-away-from-Gozo-.452377
Apologies Mr. Grech.