The new offices of the Gozo Regional Development Authority Gozo have been inaugurated by Prime Minister Robert Abela.
The Prime Minister said during the inauguration that the GRDA can “push forward ambitious initiatives in Gozo so that the economy of this island will be the first in favour of carbon neutral.”
He defined the GRDA as a tool to give the best economic opportunities for this generation.
The Prime Minister expressed his satisfaction over the work being carried out by this Authority which has the aim of providing a vision for the future of Gozo.
Dr. Abela stressed that “Gozo is at the centre of the Government’s policy and as unprecedented investment has already been made in several areas, the Government is committed to continue implementing more measures and attract more investment that will continue to lead to more economic growth in this island.”
He spoke about how investment is being made by the Government to incentivise the private sector where in the last three years, in Gozo alone, Malta Enterprise has helped around a thousand businesses in initiatives designed to strengthen and expand their operations and were given €17 million in aid.
“As a Government committed to Gozo being a main driver of economic and social progress. For us Gozo is an essential part of the change we want to see in our country towards a better quality of life,” claimed the Prime Minister.
He also stated that “the GRDA has a crucial role in this context because in addition to developing a regional development strategy for Gozo, it also has the authority to protect the interests of Gozo whenever there are political decisions or projects that may affect this island.”
Minister for Gozo Clint Camilleri, explained how the biggest project that the Authority has worked on and is still working on, is that of the Gozo Regional Airfield.
“The Government believes in the potential of Gozo and the independent studies carried out by the Authority all indicate that this project is feasible, therefore the application was submitted to the Planning Authority,” Camilleri said.
He went on to say that in the coming months, the Authority will assume more responsibilities that will continue to raise its profile and further establish its dimension. “This is because the GRDA will be coordinating the plan of how the €60 million that have been allocated under the Sustainable Urban Development fund will be efficiently utilised,” the Gozo Minister said.
Mario Borg, Chief Executive of the Authority, said that over the last two years, the GRDA had managed to establish itself as “a leading entity in Gozo.”
He mentioned how, among others, the Authority has worked on many policies and projects related to a more sustainable socio-economic development, as well as setting up structures through which continuous contact is maintained with all stakeholders.
During his visit to Gozo on Friday, the Prime Minister also met with a number of representatives of the Gozitan social partners.
During the meetings the representatives said that they “noted with satisfaction that the measures being taken by the Government in Gozo are having a positive impact including in tourism” and they looked “forward to more work that continues to increase wealth.”