Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1546170
7 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 14 AUGUST 2026 OPINION Gozo must be a place where Gozitans can succeed GOZO does not lack talent. Nor does it lack enterprise, ambition or people willing to invest. What it lacks is a long-term economic policy that understands the par- ticular realities of an island and creates the right conditions for businesses to establish them- selves, grow and provide careers of genuine quality. Too often, Gozo is discussed mainly in terms of its limita- tions: its double insularity, its small market, its dependence on transport links and the addi- tional costs faced by business- es operating here. These are real difficulties and should not be underestimated. But they should not become an excuse for accepting an economy built largely around seasonal tourism, construction, retail and low- er-paid employment. Gozo's small size can also be an advantage. It can offer a strong sense of community, a distinc- tive identity, a skilled workforce and a quality of life that many larger places have already lost. With the right infrastructure and policies, it can attract and retain businesses in sectors that do not depend entirely on physical proximity to Malta or overseas markets. However, goodwill and isolated incentives are not enough. Gozo requires a coherent economic strategy shaped around its own needs. This means reliable and efficient connectivity with Mal- ta, but also high-quality digital infrastructure, dependable ener- gy systems, suitable commercial premises, access to finance and practical support for local entre- preneurs. It also means educa- tion and training that are closely linked to the careers we want to create on the island. Investment should not be measured only by the number of jobs created. The quality, secu- rity and long-term prospects of those jobs matter just as much. A young graduate should not have to accept that the only se- rious career opportunities are across the channel. Nor should a Gozitan worker be expected to spend several hours travel- ling each day simply because the island has failed to develop a sufficiently diverse economy of its own. Remote working has opened new possibilities, but it cannot be the entire strategy. Gozo should also be able to generate its own economic activity in ar- eas such as digital services, spe- cialised healthcare, education, research, the creative industries, sustainable tourism, high-value agriculture and environmentally responsible enterprise. The ob- jective should not be to repro- duce Malta's economic model on a smaller scale, but to de- velop a model suited to Gozo's character, resources and limita- tions. Policy must also recognise that businesses in Gozo often face costs and obstacles that their Maltese counterparts do not. Targeted incentives are there- fore not special treatment; they are a reasonable response to an unequal starting point. But such assistance should reward serious investment, innovation, stable employment and proper work- ing conditions—not merely eco- nomic activity for its own sake. As a Gozitan who has always lived and worked in Gozo, I do not want the island's future to be one in which our young people must leave in order to succeed. They should be free to travel, study and gain experience else- where, but leaving should be a choice rather than an economic necessity. They should also have the opportunity to return and find a career worthy of their edu- cation, build a home and raise a family here. Every young person who leaves permanently represents more than the loss of a worker. Gozo loses skills, energy, ideas, families and future community leaders. An island cannot re- main socially alive if it gradually becomes a place where young people spend their childhood, tourists spend their holidays and older people spend their retire- ment. A stronger Gozitan economy would benefit everyone. Local businesses would grow, public finances would be strength- ened, communities would re- main vibrant and families would be less likely to be divided by the daily necessity of working elsewhere. Economic develop- ment, in this sense, is not simply about growth figures. It is about whether Gozo remains a living community with confidence in its own future. Gozo already has much of what it needs: talent, initiative, resil- ience and people prepared to take risks and invest. What is re- quired now is a policy that trusts that potential and creates the conditions in which it can flour- ish. The true measure of success will not be how many visitors Gozo attracts or how many new buildings appear on its skyline. It will be whether the next genera- tion of Gozitans can look at their island and see not only the place where they were born, but also the place where they can build their future. Mario Saliba, General practitioner by profession and opinionist 'Every young person who leaves permanently represents more than the loss of a worker'