Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1540705
13 NEWS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 26 OCTOBER 2025 Gozitans form larger share of 991 people in Community Work Scheme THERE are almost 1,000 people employed with the Community Work Scheme, a Jobsplus initi- ative for long-term unemployed individuals, administered by the General Workers' Union. By the end of September, the scheme employed 991 people, according to information tabled in parliament by Jobs Minister Byron Camilleri in reply to a question by Opposition spokes- person Chris Said. A breakdown by place of resi- dence requested by Said shows that 499 workers on the scheme hailed from Gozo and 492 were Maltese. The proportion of Gozitans on the scheme is significantly high when compared to the size of the labour market in Gozo. Regional statistics released by the Nation- al Statistics Office show that in 2023 (these are the latest avail- able) there were 18,563 Gozo and Comino residents with a full-time job when compared to 264,228 Malta residents who worked on a full-time basis. The proportion of Gozitan workers with CWS works out at 2.7% of Gozitan full-timers, while that of Maltese CWS workers works out at a mere 0.2%. The minister was also asked to provide information as to which ministry the workers in the scheme were assigned to but the data was not forthcoming. The Community Work Scheme (CWS) was launched in 2009 in a bid to help long-term unem- ployed individuals gain work experience, earn a living and position themselves better when looking for a job. It was reformed in 2016 when Jobsplus, the government's un- employment agency, incorpo- rated the scheme under a new entity and hived off its adminis- tration to the General Workers' Union after a call for tenders. The scheme continues to be run by the GWU through a con- cession agreement. The current agreement expires at the end of September 2028, according to Camilleri's parliamentary reply. Workers engaged by the CWS are assigned duties with social- ly-oriented entities such as local councils, schools, NGOs and public entities. According to a parliamentary reply given last May, around 200 workers form- ing part of the scheme were as- signed fulltime duties with local councils. The ultimate aim is to train workers and encourage them to move out of the scheme and take up fulltime employment in the private or public sectors. Workers assigned to CWS are struck off from official unem- ployment figures. Nonetheless, the success of the scheme to en- courage people to seek fulltime employment elsewhere has been questioned over the years. By the end of 2024 the scheme cost €12.2 million. KURT SANSONE ksansone@mediatoday.com.mt Environment watchdog objects to tourism development instead of Kercem fireworks factory THE Environment and Resourc- es Authority has strongly object- ed to a tourist complex instead of a fireworks factory in Kerċem, warning further studies are un- likely to over-ride its objection. "The proposed change in use is not favourably considered from an environmental point of view. These concerns are unlikely to be addressed by further studies… and any such submission would be at the applicant's sole initiative and without prejudice to such con- cerns," the authority said. The ERA's warning that fur- ther studies would not change its stance reflects frustration among the authority's tech- nocrats with developers who submit environmentally unac- ceptable proposals only to later protest the costs of studies car- ried out at their own risk. The application, submitted by Clyde Bantick in his per- sonal capacity, proposes re- placing the existing fireworks factory at Tal-Boros with sev- en self-catering units featuring small private pools, a recep- tion, breakfast area, and exten- sive landscaping. Bantick, who declared own- ership of the site, is the Group General Manager of Blue Clay Collection, part of the Agius Group of companies, whose directors include prominent Gozo developer Mark Agius. While the factory is described as "legally established," an en- forcement order against three workshops and other facilities on site has been pending since 1999. The Superintendence for Cultural Heritage also raised concerns, noting the sensi- tivity of the surrounding ru- ral landscape, which is largely undeveloped and valued for its agricultural and ecological importance. Parts of the ar- ea enjoy scheduled protection status, prompting the Superin- tendence to request high-qual- ity renders and photomontages to assess visual and landscape impacts. Local NGO Għawdix con- demned the project as in- compatible with the rural and ecological character of the ar- ea, warning that it represents "urban sprawl within ODZ." The group highlighted that the proposal would dramatically increase land take-up, intro- ducing hard landscaping, mul- tiple accommodation units, and private amenities that gen- erate visual, light, and noise impacts wholly at odds with the surrounding countryside. Għawdix strongly urged the Planning Authority to refuse the application to prevent the commercialisation of Gozo's rural landscape. The planning application falls under Malta's 2014 Rural Pol- icy, which generally permits new dwellings only on previ- ously residential land. Excep- tions are allowed if a proposal provides a "wider environmen- tal benefit" and is adequately serviced by existing infrastruc- ture. Critics argue the applica- tion stretches these provisions, using a site that required ODZ status for safety reasons as a stepping stone for a commer- cial tourism project. The site lies near the protect- ed Wied il-Mans watercourse, in a largely pristine area. Gozo also has pending fireworks fac- tory applications, including three in nearby Gharb. The plans were drawn up by archi- tect Alex Bigeni, a prominent figure in ODZ developments. ERA's statement makes clear that environmental concerns are central. Any addition- al studies would not override these objections, leaving it to the applicant to demonstrate how the project could mitigate its impact. Reporting by James Debono The existing fireworks factory at Tal-Boros A breakdown by place of residence requested by Said shows that 499 workers on the scheme hailed from Gozo and 492 were Maltese