“In the coming five years it will be necessary to drum home in Brussels the message that Gozo needs and merits special treatment. One way to do this will be to take all available opportunities in the European Parliament to speak out in favour of a special treatment for Gozo in order to promote a new wave of industrial and tourism development that will provide good jobs for Gozitans in Gozo itself,” former Prime Minister and MEP Candidate Alfred Sant stated yesterday

“This is a commitment which I promise to implement relentlessly,” Dr Sant told Gozitans during a visit to small businesses in Victoria, Gozo.

Dr Sant said there were mechanisms envisaged in the Accession Treaty by which Malta joined the European Union which were intended to help Gozo overcome the disadvantages caused by its double insularity — due to its being an island dependent on another island.

“However the previous Nationalist administration failed to trigger in time the procedures by which we could have attempted to obtain a special treatment for Gozo. When they finally did this it was too late and in February 2012, the previous administration admitted that since the country became a member of the EU, Gozo had fallen further behind Malta in terms of economic performance and social welfare.”

Dr. Sant visited various businesses in Victoria, Gozo during which he spoke about his committment to achieve special treatment for Gozo, should he represent Malta in the European Parliament.

Photo – Former Prime Minister Alfred Sant visited various businesses in Victoria, Gozo Saturday morning.

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