Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1316584
7 EDITORIAL BusinessToday is published every Thursday. The newspaper is a MediaToday publication and is distributed to all leading stationers, business and financial institutions and banks. MANAGING EDITOR: SAVIOUR BALZAN EDITOR: PAUL COCKS BusinessToday, MediaToday, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN9016, Malta Newsroom email: bt@mediatoday.com.mt Advertising: afarrugia@mediatoday.com.mt Telephone: 00356 21 382741 T here is no doubt that the Gozo-Malta tunnel is a major infrastructure project with fi- nancial, economic, social and environ- mental impacts that have to be evaluated carefully. Its construction is also very likely to span different administrations, which makes political consensus an impor- tant issue in the debate. e first steps that set the ball rolling were taken by the Nationalist adminis- tration before 2013, when then minis- ter Chris Said floated the idea of a road tunnel link between the islands. Back then, a preliminary feasibili- ty study was also commissioned that concluded the tunnel was doable. Both major parties have since includ- ed the construction of a permanent link between Gozo and Malta as part of their electoral programmes and studies continued after a change in ad- ministration in 2013. Only last year, both major parties voted on a parliamentary motion that expressed support for the tunnel pro- ject. All facts so far have pointed towards political consensus on the issue, which makes the recent call by Opposition leader Bernard Grech for a referendum in Gozo on the project a wet blanket. His suggestion appears to suggest rolling back the political consensus that has been built over the years. is will be unwise. A road tunnel will help remove the uncertainty for Gozitans, giving them a reliable travel option that does not depend on time schedules, weather and ship outages. It will give Gozitans the peace of mind they have always sought and enable the local economy to diversify because uncertainty will be removed from the equation. e process notched up a gear after the 2017 general election and is cur- rently at a stage where Infrastructure Malta is evaluating four preliminary bids for the project that were received five months ago. Known as the pre-qualification ques- tionnaire stage, bidders are currently being assessed on their technical capa- bility and financial resources. It is only after this evaluation is con- cluded that successful bidders will qualify to the second stage, where they will present detailed technical plans of the tunnel structure and how the pro- ject will be implemented, operated and maintained. Infrastructure Malta will then invite participants to dialogue meetings to explain their proposal to the evalua- tion team. e agency has so far given no time- line for this process, which will even- tually determine the application that will be submitted to the Planning Au- thority. It is very likely that a planning ap- plication will not be submitted before the next general election, which makes political consensus all the more im- portant. Only recently a subsea road network and roundabout were inaugurated in the Faroe Islands, where road tunnels have served as a staple connection be- tween various islands for years. ere is no reason why Gozo and Malta cannot be permanently con- nected in a similar fashion. In this way, the disparity between the islands can be minimised. is leader believes that Gozitans have a right to reliable travel infra- structure that their Maltese brethren enjoy. For too long Gozitans have had to contend with insularity that makes their life somewhat more complicat- ed. e complication of sea travel and the limitation imposed by travel time- tables may be a fickle consideration for many Maltese but a veritable dis- ruption and inconvenience for many Gozitans. Unwise to roll back political consensus on the tunnel 10.12.2020