“According to the latest employment statistics, in the two years of this Government there have been as many jobs created in Gozo, as the previous Government manged to create in 5 years. This is through the effect of the careful work we have done for Gozo, and is an essential part of the work that we intend to continue.”

This was stated by the Prime Minister and Labour Party Leader Joseph Muscat while he was addressing a political activity in Qala.

The leader of the Labour Party also stated that in the coming months a major investment for Gozo will be announced, “which will make Gozo the envy of Malta, and through which investment will attract more employment.”

On the subject of employment, the Prime Minister said that in the last year of the previous Government, it only managed to create 18 jobs in Gozo, this Government in its first year managed to create 506 new jobs.

The amount of work places have been created as the Government has created 800 new jobs in Gozo, explained the leader of the Labour Party. He mentioned recent new measures such as the introduction of free childcare, reduced taxes and the introduction of stability in fuel prices, “which were all important factors to continue to help the economy grow and subsequently have created more jobs.”

“We are convinced that we will continue to achieve more results,” the Prime Minister said. “Gozo should not be the place to live on what is left over from Malta, but where there is a chance try to help to the island, an example of this was the film production in Gozo last summer, ‘By the Sea,’ a movie that helped boost the Gozitan economy,” said the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister made reference to the celebration for International Woman’s Day and mentioned proposals that have been started towards female workplace participation, such as the introduction of childcare, a measure that made the difference in the lives of many families.

The Labour Leader also mentioned the measures of the Breakfast Club which benefits about 700 children and the Club 3-16 scheme for children who finish school before their parents finish work are benefiting from free, professional homework help.

Joseph Muscat also spoke about a number of other incentives introduced to help women in the workplace such as maternity leave and the chance to pay any missing stamps which may be needed to receive a full pension.

Muscat also spoke on the need to look at the pension situation, where today there are many elderly people who are not coping with the cost of living, as the two-thirds pension, which was created during the 1950s is no longer viable. He that the way forward is not to raise the retirement age or increase the stamp contribution, as proposed by the opposition, but that there now there are more people working, which means more workers to pay stamp duty and taxes.

Finally the Leader of the Labour Party said that “we are doing these first visits before starting our campaign to highlight the need to work, even though it is an uphill road. These are the most difficult elections, being mid-term. They are classically elections which are won by the Party in Opposition, however what we intend to do on the 11th of April, is to change this trend.”

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