During his intervention in Parliament on Wednesday, Shadow Minister for Gozo Frank Anthony Tabone, said that he raised a number of issues that are directly affecting the lives of Gozitans ”and that, despite promises, the Government is still failing to address effectively.”

Tabone said that ”among others, I spoke about the fight against drugs and stressed that, despite any statistics, we should never send the message that this problem is no longer a serious one. I appealed to the Government to invest in more resources for the Anti-Drug Squad in Malta and to finally establish an Anti-Drug Squad in Gozo.”

He said that he raised the issue of the call for tenders for the lease of the fourth ship, and called for ”full transparency on how much the Nikolaus leases have cost from 2019 to date. I recalled that before the election the Government had promised to issue a call for the purchase of a new ship instead of continuing to rely on leasing.”

Tabone added that he also addressed the lack of planning in road infrastructure, particularly on arterial roads, as well as the lack of maintenance that is leading to roads that cost millions of euros being allowed to deteriorate.

He said he stressed the need for the Government to invest in a modern and adequate terminal for the fast ferry. ”It is unacceptable that passengers remain exposed to the sun, wind and rain due to a lack of investment in basic facilities that are appropriate to the service.”

The Gozo Shadow Minister said that he appealed to the Government ”to take immediate action to save the Kenuna Tower, a valuable cultural heritage that we cannot leave at risk.”

He thanked the Nadur Local Council, the various organisations and Gozitan activists who are at the forefront in defending this historical heritage and maintaining the pressure to save this building.

Then on Thursday, writing on social media, Frank Tabone spoke out about the recent power outages that continue to affect residents across Gozo for many hours on multiple occasions.

He said that this situation raises legitimate questions that the Government must answer:

• What led to this power outages?

• What measures will be taken to avoid further outages in the coming days and weeks?

• What compensation will be given to families and businesses that suffered damage due to this unannounced power outage?

”The public has the right to know exactly what happened and what action will be taken to prevent a situation like this from happening again,” stated Tabone.

He concluded by saying that, ”we expect clear answers and a transparent explanation from the Government.”

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