Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1544871
10 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 10 MAY 2026 NEWS ELECTION 2026 PN pledges dedicated EU fund for Gozo NATIONALIST Party leader Alex Borg has pledged a dedicated EU fund for Gozo, a 400-bed hos- pital, and expanded ferry ports. He made the announcements at an EPP-backed conference on Saturday, organised by MEP Peter Agius. Borg also spoke about ag- ricultural funding reform and the need to redirect EU money direct- ly to farmers. "Gozo should not remain an af- terthought. It should not remain a symbol of Malta's periphery but be on the same level as Malta," he said, highlighting that under the current system, EU funds des- tined for Gozo are limited by a broader Malta allocation. He said a PN government would push for a dedicated funding package for the Gozitan region, giving the island greater certainty about its EU income. On agriculture, Borg said Malta was among the lowest recipients of Pillar One EU agricultural funds that go directly to farmers, when compared to other EU member states. He said a PN government would lobby within Europe to re- direct agricultural funds towards Pillar One. He added that electricity me- ter charges for farmers would be scrapped entirely, and that elec- tricity bills for the agricultural sector would fall by an average of 15%. On the hospital, Borg said Gozitans had been waiting years for a serious investment in the Gozo General Hospital. He pledged a 400-bed facility and in- vestment in a helipad. Borg also said the ports of Mġarr and Ċirkewwa needed urgent expansion to handle growing de- mand and cater for an expanded fleet of five ferries. He said a new passenger vessel and a dedicated cargo ferry would be introduced in the first legisla- ture of a PN government, with the cargo ferry serving the Grand Harbour and eventually extend- ing to the Freeport, easing traffic on Malta's roads. He also said the new ferries would include a dedicated calm- ing room for neurodivergent passengers, particularly children with conditions such as ADHD, dyslexia, and autism, who he said often panicked on board and end- ed up avoiding the crossing alto- gether. Borg also pledged that a PN gov- ernment will build a breakwater in Marsalforn, saying that without it, the investment already made in the promenade was being undone by storm damage. JULIANA ZAMMIT jzammit@mediatoday.com.mt Nationalist Party Leader Alex Borg made the announcements at an EPP-backed conference, where he pledged a dedicated EU fund for Gozo, a 400-bed hospital, and expanded ferry ports