The Nationalist Party said that it has had confirmation that the ”works scheme announced by the Government does not apply to Gozitan Local Councils,”
In response to a statement [1] by the PN regarding funding available to Local Councils, the Government confirmed to the Opposition that ”the scheme is based on an agreement between the Public Works Department and Local Councils.”
”It also confirmed that only Local Councils in Malta will benefit from the scheme, while Local Councils in Gozo will receive nothing,” the PN said.
In a joint statement, Frank Anthony Tabone Shadow Minister for Gozo and Bernice Bonello Shadow Minister for Local Government and Public Works, said that ”originally, Alison Zerafa Civelli had invited Gozitan Local Councils to the launch of the funding scheme for Local Councils, yet they were nevertheless excluded from it.”
They insisted that ”this is not a technical or administrative issue. It is a political decision which once again shows how this Government is treating Gozo.”
The Shadow Ministers argued that while Local Councils in Malta will have access to direct funding to carry out works and projects in their localities, ”Gozitan Local Councils will continue to depend on the Ministry for Gozo to implement similar projects.”
They also pointed out that the Ministry for Gozo has not launched any scheme through which Local Councils in Gozo can access funding for infrastructure projects in their localities.
”The Government has also failed to answer the PN’s questions on the actual amount of funding allocated to this scheme and how these funds will be distributed,” they said.
The Shadow Ministers argued that ”the Government is not credible when it claims to believe in Local Council autonomy while, at the same time, retaining control over funding and leaving Gozitan Local Councils entirely dependent on the Ministry for Gozo.”
They pointed out that ”it is Gozitan Local Councils themselves that know the priorities of their communities best They know where maintenance is most urgently needed, where investment in public spaces is required, which roads need intervention and what their residents’ needs are.”
The PN continues to insist that Gozitan Local Councils ”must be treated on an equal footing with Local Councils in Malta, with direct funding, transparent criteria and genuine autonomy so that they can decide for themselves how best to invest in their communities,” they said.
The Shadow Ministers insisted that the Government ”must therefore provide a clear explanation as to why Gozo has been excluded from this funding and why it is refusing to give Gozitan Local Councils the same opportunity being given to Local Councils in Malta.”
”Gozo cannot continue to be treated as a second-class island. Robert Abela mentioning Gozitans before Maltese people in a political speech means nothing if, when it comes to actual decisions, Gozitans are treated as though they are inferior citizens,” they said.
The Nationalist Party concluded by saying that it will ”continue working to ensure that Local Councils in Gozo are given greater autonomy, more resources and greater power to take decisions themselves in the best interests of their localities.”
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