The Gozo Business Chamber, in a statement this evening, welcomed the initiatives announced by the Government which are targeted towards incentivising the economy.

The GBC said that it had already provided its feedback through a policy and strategic document containing a number of measures on specific sectors.

The Chamber said it believed the voucher system will also assist the domestic tourism sector in Gozo. “At this stage it is crucial, given Gozo’s strong dependency on tourism.”

“The assistance to be provided on rents and electricity bills will also give a much needed breathing space to a lot of businesses” the Chamber said.

The Chamber stressed that “it is crucial at this stage to instill the required confidence in the economy.”

The GBC highlighted the point that the wage supplement in the tourism sector will be retained in an integral way, and that the wage supplement for Annex B will also be retained.

It went on to say that it also “expects that the positive discrimination contained in Annex B for Gozitan based enterprises, should continue as is.”

Rents was one of the main concerns of businesses which have seen their earnings drop substantially during this period, the Chamber said. It also noted that the wavering of trade license fees for this year should also provide a much needed assistance to businesses at this point in time.

Overall, the Chamber said that it it is a “strong budget which should incentivise the economy to continue moving forward during these difficult times, and which should put the nation in a good position to restart the economy gradually.”

It noted the large infrastructural projects and initiatives that were announced for the island of Malta, however the Chamber said that it believes that there should also be important infrastructural projects in Gozo.

Such project should also assist in providing and upgrading Gozo’s industrial space to really meet the needs of new industries, and attracting new industries to Gozo, the Chamber said.

The GBC reiterated that a “specific strategy for Gozo should also be in place with a special focus on the digital and green economy sectors.”

The Gozo Business Chamber conclude by saying that “the Government should consider specific investment packages in these sectors in order to diversify the Gozitan economy.”

Photograph by Alain Salvary

Permalink: Voucher system will assist domestic tourism sector in Gozo – GBC