Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1531292
4 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 10 JANUARY 2025 NEWS THE Labour Party has issued a scath- ing critique of the Nationalist Party over what it described as an "internal power struggle" playing out at the expense of Gozitans, following PN MP Chris Said's recent proposal to complement the Min- istry for Gozo with a Regional Council. The Ministry, which has been a corner- stone of governance for the island for over 40 years, would be relegated to a largely symbolic role under Said's plan. The PL pointed out that the PN's defence of Said's proposal, issued 24 hours after his interview in the media, has drawn atten- tion not only for its content but also for who delivered it, or rather, who did not. The statement was conspicuously un- signed by Alex Borg, the PN's spokesper- son for Gozo, raising questions about uni- ty within the party. Borg's silence has fuelled speculation that Said's announcement reflects deep- er tensions between the two prominent Gozitan figures, with insiders pointing to longstanding friction dating back to Borg's appointment by PN leader Bernard Grech. "Gozitans should not be made to pay for the PN's internal power games," the La- bour Party said in a press release, accusing the Nationalist Party of prioritising its own infighting over the interests of Gozo's res- idents. Labour dismissed the proposal, which Gozitans rejected in 2002, as "tone-deaf" and speculated that Said might be seeking a new political foothold. The party criticised the PN for "pri- oritising infighting over the interests of Gozitans," calling the move "deeply un- fair." "This is yet another example of the PN ignoring the will of the people," Labour said, vowing to oppose any effort to weak- en the Gozo Ministry. PN rebuttal But in a statement rebutting the PL's accusations, the PN said Labour has no shame and that the PL was trying to shift blame onto others. The PN said that Labour had forgotten that it was a Labour Government that, in the history of the Ministry for Gozo, re- moved the Ministry and instead appoint- ed a Parliamentary Secretary without ex- ecutive powers, with decisions impacting Gozitans being made from Castille. "In contrast, it was a Nationalist Govern- ment that, upon being elected in 1987, im- mediately fulfilled its main electoral prom- ise to Gozo by appointing the first-ever Minister for Gozo," the party said in a statement. "Under Nationalist Governments, Gozo always had a Minister with a voice in the Cabinet. It was only a Labour Government under Alfred Sant that abolished the Min- istry for Gozo. As a result, in 1996, Gozo and the Gozitans were relegated to sec- ond-class status with a Parliamentary Sec- retariat instead of a Ministry." A similar scenario had occurred in the early 1960s when Gozo had its own Civic Council, directly elected by the people and established by a Nationalist Government. Even in this case, the Council was abol- ished in 1973 by the Labour Government led by Mintoff. But Labour has no shame, the PN said, accusing the PL of trying to claim that a new Nationalist Government would dis- mantle the Ministry for Gozo. "Labour seems to have also forgotten that the proposal for Gozo to have a Regional Council, complementing the Ministry for Gozo in formulating regional policies, en- joys the support of Gozitan civil society or- ganisations, which agree that decisions af- fecting Gozo should be made by Gozitans themselves," the PN said. "Labour is going against the wishes of Gozitan social part- ners." The party said that what Labour claims to have "uncovered" about the PN's plans for Gozo has been known for years. The Partit Nazzjonalista has long pro- posed that Gozo should have a Region- al Council directly elected by Gozitans. Moreover, the party insists Gozo should be recognised as an Island Region in the Constitution to safeguard this regional status permanently. This promise is clearly outlined in the PN's recent electoral programmes, includ- ing a specific manifesto for Gozo prepared for the 2017 General Election, which states: "Gozo should be defined as an Island Re- gion in the Constitution. To strengthen this new regional status, a process will be launched to establish a Regional Council for Gozo, with broad representation from Gozitan society, representing Gozo in all fora, including the EU, with direct access to European funding. This Council will be responsible for developing long-term poli- cies and vision for Gozo." The PN said it has always been consist- ent on this issue. Even before the 2022 election, the Partit Nazzjonalista promised to give Gozo a Regional Council elected by Gozitans, with executive powers and the necessary funding to implement initiatives and projects. Last September, PN Leader Bernard Grech reiterated the Partit Nazzjonalis- ta's position that decisions about Gozo should be taken by Gozitans themselves. He emphasised that Gozo should have a Regional Council so that decisions are made by those who truly understand Gozo's needs. "Instead of continuing to spread Fake News – something Labour has become an expert at – they should tell us whether they agree that Gozo should become an Is- land Region and whether the Constitution should be amended to safeguard Gozo's identity and regional status," the PN said. "As they did in last June's elections, Gozitans will once again show Labour that they no longer want to be taken for grant- ed. Instead of a clique in power that only looks after its inner circle – even in Gozo – Gozitans will vote for those who are gen- uinely ready to defend their interests." Labour Party criticises PN's 'internal power struggle' over Gozo proposal THE property on promise of sale agreements concluded in 2024 was valued at an eye-watering €5.1 bil- lion, according to the Malta Devel- opment Association. The MDA, a major lobby group for the property sector, toasted what it described a record-break- ing year that saw 16,739 promise of sale agreements being conclud- ed. The value of the property in these agreements represents an 11% increase over 2023 and a 5.5% increase over 2021, which held the previous record of €4.8 billion. The data was collected by the MDA from several sources and includes both residential and com- mercial properties. "This data continues to clearly demonstrate the economic growth brought about by the property sec- tor," the MDA said in a statement on Thursday. It described the sec- tor as "one of the fundamental pil- lars" of the economy that "need to be preserved". The MDA said demand for prop- erty is constantly increasing and called for less red tape. "It is necessary to address bu- reaucracy, which does not bring any added value, and make the necessary investments to improve quality including that of the infra- structure and more efficient build- ings," the association said. MDA President Michael Sti- vala commented: "This invest- ment benefits every Maltese and Gozitan family." The information on promise of sale agreements comes as an ex- ercise carried by MaltaToday re- vealed that applications for plan- ning permits increased by 12% in 2024. Using data that is publicly avail- able on the Planning Authority website, the exercise showed that 8,717 planning applications were filed last year, an increase of 1,115 over 2023. The number of planning and zoning applications only offers an indication of the state of the con- struction industry because plan- ning permits are submitted for a wide range of works, from residen- tial blocks to agricultural stores and reservoirs. Nonetheless, the figures derived by this newspaper for planning permits and those presented by the MDA for promise of sale agreements both suggest a resur- gence of investment in the proper- ty sector after a two-year dip. Promise of sale agreements hit record €5.1 billion in 2024