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9 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 he introduction – and swi uptake by the public – of fast ferry service be- tween Gozo and Valletta has led some to question if a permanent link between the two islands is necessary any longer. However, in the past, even earlier this year, stormy weather often disrupted sea trav- el between Malta and Gozo, leaving many Gozitan workers and even hospital patients stranded for the night. is is not a normal thing, granted. Com- plete disruption because of extreme weath- er conditions occurs on a handful of occa- sions throughout the year, which makes it hard to justify the expense to build a per- manent connection on this basis alone. However, what these disruptions do is highlight the precariousness of Gozo's in- sularity. Gozitans need the peace of mind that life can continue functioning as normal on their island. But not just. ey also have a right to reliable travel infrastructure that their Maltese brethren enjoy. From a Gozitan perspective, sea travel means waking up early to make the first ferry trip to Malta; and trying to wrap up meetings early, to get back to Gozo in a de- cent time. is inconvenience may appear fickle to many Maltese but it is an economic and so- cial disruptor for Gozitans and cannot be disregarded at the bat of an eyelid. e fast ferry services now offer an al- ternative, albeit limited in that they carry only passengers, who will therefore have to make alternative transport arrangements to complete their journeys beyong Mgarr or Valletta. e construction of a permanent link will help remove the uncertainty, giving Gozitans a reliable travel option that does not depend on time schedules, weather and ship outages. e proposed tunnel link will not come cheap – a price tag ranging between €300 million and €500 million has been floated. Part of that cost is money that would have to be spent anyway to create a bypass for Xemxija as part of the Ten-T network. Plans first floated in 2006 for this bypass were abandoned and Xemxija Hill struggles to keep up with growing congestion. e tunnel will hive off the traffic to and from Gozo off the Xemxija route, making it less likely to require a new road in the area. Part of the cost can be recouped through increased economic activity in Gozo and the northern part of Malta, and a toll on non-Gozitan cars using the tunnel. But there is a hint of unfairness in demand- ing that the Gozo-Malta tunnel should pay for itself. No such argument has ever been made for the Marsa Junction project, the Kappara Junction flyover, the Marsa-Ham- run bypass road widening, the Santa Venera tunnels, and all other major road projects. It is taken as given that these road projects are necessary to ease traffic congestion and help contribute to improved economic ac- tivity. e same holds for a permanent link be- tween the two islands, which will also ena- ble commercial activity in Gozo to diversify and create more jobs on the island. But the tunnel link is not the be all and end all for Gozo. For the island to flourish economically it needs to have a second and third fibre op- tic link to boost bandwidth – this has be- come more crucial now with the launch of the Gozo innovation hub. It needs to have a proper harbour in Mġarr that could take in more yachts and allow cruise liners to berth. It needs to have a fully functional gener- al hospital, which is why the government must press Steward Healthcare to get on with the project. Gozo is getting its own reverse osmosis at Ħondoq ir-Rummien but government should seriously explore how the island could have limited capacity to produce its own electricity through clean technology. All this will help make Gozo a contributor to nationwide economic progress and en- courage young Gozitans to continue living in their birthplace. For Gozo and Gozitans, the fast ferry service was only a first step 29.7.2021

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