The Gozo Business Chamber has published its document entitled “A Strategic Framework for Gozo’s Economic Resilience and Future Development,” outlining its key proposals for Gozo in view of the forthcoming General Election.

The Chamber stressed that, ”Gozo must be recognised as a distinct island region, with its own socio-economic realities, structural challenges and long-term development needs.”

The Chamber said it therefore believes that ”the next legislature should focus on three clear commitments: stronger regional governance for Gozo, an integrated accessibility and logistics framework, and a structured economic diversification strategy based on innovation, enterprise and start-ups.”

The Chamber said that it believes that the electoral campaign ”should not become a contest of who promises the most for Gozo but should instead mark a decisive shift in how the island is perceived, planned and governed.”

The Gozo Business Chambers proposals include:

Regional Governance and Autonomy

• The Gozo Business Chamber believes that the forthcoming electoral period should open a mature national discussion on Gozo’s governance model.

• The Chamber is calling for clear and measurable steps towards greater regional autonomy for Gozo. This should not be understood as isolation or separation, but as a more effective governance framework through which Gozo can identify its own priorities and shape policy responses more directly.

• Decisions affecting Gozo should be taken as close as possible to the communities and businesses impacted by them. The Chamber believes that this would lead to a more responsive, accountable and efficient system of decision-making.

• The Chamber also noted that important strategic decisions affecting Gozo will need to be taken in the coming years, especially in the context of infrastructure, accessibility, economic diversification, skills, investment and land use.

Accessibility and Logistics

The Chamber reiterated that Gozo’s accessibility challenge should not be viewed only as a matter of ferry frequency or short-term service improvements. It is a structural issue affecting economic resilience, business continuity, labour mobility, tourism flows, freight reliability, emergency preparedness and quality of life. The Chamber called for the preparation and implementation of a Gozo Integrated Accessibility and Logistics Masterplan.

• This masterplan should include the development of a dedicated logistics hub near the planned Gozo Rural Airfield, the extension and futureproofing of Mgarr Harbour, the creation of an alternative fast ferry landing facility at Marsalforn, and the construction of a second alternative road link to M?arr Harbour, preferably through a tunnel.

• The Chamber said it believes that these proposals must be planned as one integrated system. Their purpose should be to reduce pressure on Mgarr Harbour, improve freight and passenger flows, strengthen supply-chain reliability, support business competitiveness and increase Gozo’s resilience.

• The Chamber said also believes that the permanent link between Malta and Gozo should remain safeguarded as a long-term strategic option. Land already identified or committed for this purpose should not be released for incompatible development, so that the country does not lose its future strategic options.

Mgarr Harbour and Maritime Resilience

• The Chamber maintained that Mgarr Harbour must remain Gozo’s principal maritime gateway, but its role must be clarified and future proofed.

• The Chamber said it believes that no meaningful long-term improvement in Gozo’s accessibility can take place without strong infrastructural and strategic investment in Mgarr Harbour.

• The port should be upgraded through additional operational land and marshalling capacity, improved segregation of passenger and freight flows, better facilities for commercial vehicles and essential supplies, cleaner ferry infrastructure, improved public transport integration and stronger resilience during peak demand and disruption.

• The Chamber said it also believes that Gozo requires more than one maritime access point. An alternative fast ferry landing facility at Marsalforn, potentially integrated with the planned breakwater, would diversify access and reduce pressure on the existing M?arr corridor.

Economic Diversification and Start-Ups

• The Chamber believes that Gozo’s long-term development cannot depend solely on increasing activity within existing sectors. Gozo requires a different type of economic growth: one that is higher value-added, less dependent on land consumption, more attractive to younger workers, more export-oriented and better aligned with Malta’s long-term strategic direction.

• The Chamber is calling for Gozo to be formally designated as an Island Hub for Innovation, Investment and Start-Ups.

• This designation should be supported by targeted incentives, simplified and faster processes for eligible investment projects, dedicated start-up support, and a focus on strategic sectors where Gozo can realistically build a niche.

• Potential priority areas include digital services, AI-enabled business solutions, cybersecurity, digital media, green technologies, medtech and health-related innovation, unmanned aerial vehicle applications, specialised aviation-related services, applied education, executive training and selected research-linked activities.

The Gozo Innovation Hub

• The Chamber said it believes that the Gozo Innovation Hub should become the central investment platform for Gozo’s diversification strategy.

• The Hub should not function merely as a physical premises, but as the platform through which Gozo’s innovation, investment and start-up ecosystem is delivered.

• The Chamber is calling for the Hub to be repositioned as a home for start-ups and scale-ups, a landing point for targeted investors, a workspace for digital, green and knowledge-based businesses, and a platform for collaboration between Government, business, education providers and entrepreneurs.

• The Chamber said it is also proposing a governance framework of the Hub involving the public and private sector and managed through a five-year business plan.

• The Chamber said it also believes that early-stage firms and student-led ventures should be supported through subsidised or zero-cost access during the initial start-up phase, shared workspaces, hot-desking, short-term project space, flexible lease arrangements and phased pricing as companies grow.

Enterprise Support and Skills

• The Chamber said it is calling for the creation of an integrated Gozo Enterprise One- Stop Hub at the Gozo Innovation Hub.

• This should bring together business support services related to company formation, investment incentives, business grants, regulatory requirements, digital and innovation support, access to finance, internationalisation, start-up support and liaison with national authorities.

• The Chamber said it believes that Gozo-based offices should, where possible, be empowered to process, recommend or approve relevant schemes directly, so that decision-making is brought closer to Gozo-based businesses.

• Education and skills development must also be central to Gozo’s diversification strategy. The Chamber believes that entrepreneurship, innovation and financial literacy should be introduced from an early stage, while stronger links should be created between education providers, industry and the Gozo Innovation Hub. In this context, the Chamber said it is also proposing that Youth4Entrepreneurship Gozo should evolve from a standalone competition into a structured pre-incubation and early- stage development pipeline, enabling promising ideas to receive mentoring, technical guidance, seed support and access to the Gozo Innovation Hub after the competition stage.

Supporting Existing Businesses

• The Chamber stressed that economic diversification should not be interpreted as a shift away from existing businesses.

• Existing commercial operators must remain viable and competitive if Gozo is to build a broader and more resilient economy.

• The Chamber said it is therefore reiterating its proposal for a transport assistance scheme for wholesalers, importers and retailers, similar to the existing Gozo Transport Grant for the manufacturing sector.

• Such a scheme would help address the structural transport-cost disadvantages faced by Gozo-based businesses when compared to Malta-based competitors.

The Chamber said it believes that the proposals outlined in its document ”are not standalone measures. They are interconnected elements of one development model. Investment in accessibility and logistics is necessary to strengthen Gozo’s resilience and support the day- to-day operations of businesses and workers. At the same time, economic diversification is necessary to create new opportunities, retain young talent, attract higher-value investment and reduce overdependence on a narrow economic base.”

The Gozo Business Chamber therefore urged all political parties and policymakers ”to place Gozo’s long-term sustainable development at the centre of the national debate.”

”Gozo requires a clear vision, a stronger regional voice, a credible implementation plan, and a sustained commitment to ensure that its economic future is built on resilience, diversification, accessibility, innovation, quality of life and a governance model that reflects Gozo’s distinct island reality,” said the Gozo Business Chamber.

File photo: Gozo News/Alain Salvary

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