Confirmation of the disastrous state of Gozo’s roads – Alex Borg

Alex Borg the Shadow Minister for Gozo has highlighted that despite the Labour Party’s electoral promise to invest €700 million in all the roads of Malta and Gozo, “fewer than 100 roads have been fixed in Gozo over the past seven years.”

He stressed that “the deteriorating state of Gozo’s roads, especially residential ones, is a fact.”

The Shadow Minister stated that, “this isn’t just acknowledged by Gozitans who regularly use these roads but also by Maltese residents and tourists visiting the island. Now, even local newspapers are highlighting the disastrous condition of Gozo’s roads.”

He went on to say that according to a report published today, in the past seven years, fewer than 100 roads in Gozo have been worked on, “despite the Labour Party’s 2017 electoral promise to invest €700 million to repair all of Malta’s and Gozo’s roads.”

Borg added that “as reported by the Times of Malta, while 1,400 roads in Malta were resurfaced from 2018 onward, only 83 roads in Gozo received similar treatment. In many cases, these were not newly built roads but ones that underwent partial repairs.”

He pointed out that roadworks in Gozo are not managed by Infrastructure Malta, as is the case in Malta, but fall directly under the Ministry for Gozo, led by Clint Camilleri.

It should be noted that in recent years, Borg said, that “every budget has shown a substantial decrease in capital investment, particularly in road infrastructure, except for 2022 – the election year – when there was a minimal increase. Since then, capital investment has dropped below 2013 levels.”

Borg stressed that “when inflation and rising construction costs are factored in it becomes evident that Gozo has not only been neglected but completely forgotten.”

Infrastructure is the backbone of Gozo’s economic and tourism sector, he said. “If the foundation is weak, everything starts to decline gradually.”

“The Nationalist Party is committed to working in coordination with Gozo’s local councils to identify and carry out the necessary roadworks, ensuring that Gozo no longer lags behind in basic infrastructure that determines the quality of life for its residents and visitors,” stated the Shadow Minister for Gozo.

He concluded that “unlike the Labour Government, for the PN, building new roads and improving the existing road network in Gozo will be a top priority.”