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10 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 4 OCTOBER 2024 NEWS 'Decisions about Gozo should be made by the Gozitans themselves' - PN A new Nationalist government will give Gozitans the power to make their own decisions about Gozo, the Nationalist Party said in a statement this week. "Nationalist Governments have always believed in Gozo, and today more than ever, the Partit Nazzjonalista believes in Gozo and the Gozitans," the party said. "Just as it did 24 years ago, when it invested in a new fleet of ferries to improve the lives of Gozitans, a Nationalist Gov- ernment will once again be the one to give Gozitans a leap in quality in how they travel be- tween the two islands. It will ensure that Gozitan students have the same opportunities as their Maltese counterparts and guarantee a fair distribution of wealth." During a dialogue meeting in Rabat, Gozo, on Sunday - as part of the activities marking the 60th anniversary of Inde- pendence - PN leader Bernard Grech said that a National- ist Government will provide Gozitans with a more efficient fleet of ferries, with more fre- quent trips, shorter journey times, and less waiting time. "It will also provide the neces- sary infrastructure for today's and tomorrow's needs and ensure connectivity to places other than Ċirkewwa and Val- letta," he said. Grech said that Gozitan work- ers and business people should not have to bear the cost of the Government's incompetence, which has left them to fend for themselves. "The only thing they have been given us over the past 11 years is an outdated ferry for which we are paying through the nose." He said that this is a govern- ment that has left everything to chance, and its mistakes are becoming detrimental to businesses, referring to how squares, even in Gozo, cannot be enjoyed by people because the Government is unable to enforce the rules. He insisted that a PN-led gov- ernment would be pro-busi- ness but will ensure that every- one adheres to clear rules so that public squares remain for the people, striking a balance between space for the public and space for businesses. "There will be a level playing field for everyone, with rules that aren't manipulated de- pending on how well you know the Minister or whether an election is approaching." Grech said that regardless of what the numbers show, every public opinion survey remains a snapshot of the moment. He said the PN is determined to continue working to ensure that our country gets the gov- ernment it deserves. "The improvement in the re- sults from the elections last June encourages us to work even harder and continues to strengthen us, but for the nec- essary change to happen, more people need to join us on this journey to give our country what it truly deserves," he said. During the dialogue, which al- so included speeches by Presley Clark from the Gozo Universi- ty Group, Daniel Borg from the Gozo Business Chamber, Luke Said from NGO Għawdix, and Joe Muscat from the Gozo Tourism Association, Grech also spoke about Gozitan stu- dents. He said that a new Nationalist Government would ensure that these students would not need to travel to Malta unnecessarily to sit for their exams. Students do not need any more stress than they already have. "Education is not just about buildings; education is, first and foremost, about students and educators, as well as the parents who make so many sacrifices to see their children thrive," Grech said. "As it has always done, a new Nationalist Government will bring about innovation and opportunities through clear policies on job creation and the economy." He said these policies would pave the way for those who want to grow without destroy- ing the environment. Compet- itiveness will be strengthened, and economic prosperity will be distributed fairly. "The money currently be- ing wasted on corruption will be used to ease the burden on parents by providing, where possible, tax reductions. CO- LA will no longer be taxed, and tax credits will be given to the self-employed and the private sector," Grech said. "For the Partit Nazzjonalista, Gozitans are not merely votes." The PN leader said that a Na- tionalist government would take the necessary decisions to improve the quality of life for everyone. "Hand in hand with Gozitans, it will ensure that children, the elderly, the self-employed, and business people thrive, and Gozo flourishes once again," Grech said. "Gozo will once again become a land of opportunity." PN leader Bernard Grech during a dialogue meeting in Rabat, Gozo, on Sunday "The money currently being wasted on corruption will be used to ease the burden on parents by providing, where possible, tax reductions... For the Partit Nazzjonalista, Gozitans are not merely votes."

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