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2 NEWS 23.9.2021 THE Gozo Tourism Association has welcomed the Government's commit- ment towards more connectivity to Gozo with the introduction of an air link between the two islands. Prime Minister Robert Abela reiter- ated the government's commitment to the air link while in Ghajnsielem during the weekend. e GTA noted that no agricultural land would be taken up in the imple- mentation of this project. It is the government's intent that the air link service will be carried out by the private sector. "is project not only serves Gozo through better connectivity, but will be the catalyst for the creation of new niches and new economic activities," the GTA said. The association also welcomed con- firmation from the prime minister that the government was looking to introduce a new fourth Gozo Channel vessel which would be more environ- ment friendly and with lower emis- sions. "ese are all significant steps towards the inter-islands connectivity adding more improvements to Gozo's accessi- bility," the GTA said. "An all year round, island tourist des- tination, like Gozo, can only be saleable if there are reliable, consistent, effective and cost sensitive types of connectivity from and to the mainland and from the outside world." Gozo Tourism Association welcomes air link commitment A 20-seater fixed-wing turboprop aircraft could provide a permanent air link between Malta and Gozo THREE million euros are being invested in a new plant which manufactures iron structures. Economy and industry min- ister Silvio Schembri visited the ongoing works in Ħal Far, a project made possible through the allocation of around 3,500 square meters of land which INDIS Mal- ta granted to General Maintenance Ltd. e increase in demand which the company will now be able to accommo- date will lead to the creation of about 20 new jobs, including those of engineers, designers, CNC programmers, welders and fabricators. is has led to an in- crease in the number of workers with the company which now employs 50 people, while it also increases the number of ser- vice providers who use it, a fact which in turn can also generate more work. Minister Schembri said this project is part of the course of action of a Govern- ment that wants to ensure the best use of the land available for the industrial sector, so that more investment can be accommodated. At the same time, IN- DIS Malta is working on improving the infrastructure of industrial areas in Mal- ta, including that of Ħal Far. "We are committed to creating an ideal country for investment which will im- prove the quality of life," Schembri said. "e climate of economic resilience that we have managed to achieve together is clearly reflected in the resilience shown by Maltese industries. Ambitious en- trepreneurs, who courageously strive to maintain their competitive advantage not only in the local market but also by traversing abroad and seeking to com- pete with their heads held high in inter- national markets." e €3 million investment covers the structural infrastructure of the hangar, machinery and automation equipment, so that the company can improve effi- ciency and raise the quality of its product for all its clients, both local and interna- tional. With its new capabilities, it will serve as an important service provider. Schembri said Malta has managed to build a solid reputation in the field of international trade, with local indus- tries considered to be of the highest level across the five continents. He noted how the company itself, since its establish- ment 30 years ago, today enjoys a very good position in the European markets, including Spain, France and Italy and is now working to expand its operations in North Africa. "We are with you to help you grow your infrastructure operations and to open the doors to international business opportunities," Schembri said in a mes- sage to entrepreneurs. "In exchange, we expect investment in workers, who are the backbone of the Maltese economy." e director of the company, Matthew Camilleri, spoke about how with this assistance from INDIS Malta, General Maintenance will be able to undertake more work and projects both locally and internationally because it will have available the land and tools to continue to build on what it has already created, including recently announced projects. ese projects include a 110m-long iron structure which was used in the Bla- ta l-Bajda pedestrian bridge project, high security fencing work around the Army Bomb Disposal Unit located at Fort Mo- sta, the new Enemed fuel storage pipe- lines in Ħas Saptan, and work on pipe- lines for a super yacht in Spain. Iron structure manufacturing plant gets €3 million investment from INDIS Malta

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