Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1544958
4 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 15 MAY 2026 NEWS CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 While stopping short of en- dorsing a Malta-Gozo tunnel project, the Chamber said a permanent link between the islands should remain as a long-term strategic option and warned against releasing land earmarked for such infrastruc- ture to other forms of develop- ment. The document frames acces- sibility as more than a trans- port issue, arguing that it directly affects business conti- nuity, labour mobility, freight reliability, tourism and emer- gency preparedness. On the economy, the Cham- ber said Gozo could no longer rely solely on expanding tra- ditional sectors and instead needed growth that was "high- er value-added" and less de- pendent on land consumption. The Chamber proposed for- mally designating Gozo as an "Island Hub for Innovation, Investment and Start-Ups", backed by targeted incentives and streamlined investment processes. Suggested priority sectors in- clude artificial intelligence-en- abled services, cybersecurity, green technologies, medtech, unmanned aerial vehicle appli- cations and specialised aviation services. The Chamber also called for the existing Gozo Innovation Hub to be transformed into the centrepiece of the island's diversification strategy, serv- ing as a platform for start-ups, investors and collaboration be- tween government, businesses and educational institutions. In addition, it proposed an integrated "Gozo Enterprise One-Stop Hub" to centralise support services for business- es and investors, while urging policymakers to strengthen entrepreneurship and financial literacy education from an ear- ly age. The Chamber said its propos- als should be viewed as inter- connected elements of a single development model aimed at improving resilience, retain- ing young talent and reducing Gozo's dependence on a nar- row economic base. The chamber proposes formally designating Gozo as an island hub for innovation, investment and start-ups PN pledges dedicated EU fund for Gozo NATIONALIST Party leader Alex Borg has pledged a dedi- cated EU fund for Gozo, a 400- bed hospital, and expanded ferry ports. He made the announcements at an EPP-backed conference organised by MEP Peter Agius, where he also spoke about agri- cultural funding reform and the need to redirect EU money di- rectly 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 destined for Gozo are limited by a broader Malta allocation, meaning there is no guarantee the island will receive the same amount from one funding pack- age to the next. 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 Mal- ta was among the lowest recipi- ents of Pillar One EU agricultural funds, those that go directly to farmers, compared to other EU member states. He pointed out that most of Malta's agricultural EU money currently falls under Pillar Two, which is allocated to the govern- ment before being disbursed. He said a PN government would lob- by within the European Commis- sion and Parliament to redirect agricultural funds towards Pillar One, putting money directly in farmers' hands. 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, saying the absence of one created serious complications in emergencies for patients and their families. Borg also said the ports of Mġarr and Ċirkewwa needed urgent ex- pansion, not only to handle grow- ing demand, describing Mġarr as having become "almost a symbol of chaos but also because ex- panding the fleet to five ferries would be impossible without first investing in port infrastructure. He said a new passenger ves- sel and a dedicated cargo ferry would be introduced in the first legislature of a PN government, with the cargo ferry serving the Grand Harbour and eventually extending 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 ended up avoiding the crossing altogether. On EU funding for the ferry fleet, Borg said Malta was failing to make use of available funds such as Horizon, Connecting Eu- rope, and other funds that oth- er island regions across Europe were already drawing on to build cleaner fleets. Borg also committed to build- ing a breakwater in Marsalforn, saying that without it, the invest- ment already made in the prom- enade was being undone season after season by storm damage. He pledged investment in 150 kilometres of arterial and princi- pal roads across Gozo through- out the legislature, not just in the run-up to an election. He closed by saying he believed Gozo's future should be writ- ten by Gozitans themselves, and that, as a Gozitan prime minister, he would make Gozo one of his highest priorities. Nationalist Party leader Alex Borg pledged a dedicated EU fund for Gozo, a 400-bed hospital, and expanded ferry ports at an EPP-backed conference While stopping short of endorsing a Malta-Gozo tunnel project, the Chamber said a permanent link between the islands should remain as a long-term strategic option