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Matthew Vella
A plea by Labour MP Anton Refalo to get Italy to cough up some form of ‘compensation’ for the disproportionate allocation of Italian monies for Gozo failed to make inroads after ambassador Alvise Memmo informed him no more cash could be made available following the final Malta-Italy financial protocol.
The fifth protocol was the last financial package from Italy, signed on the eve of Malta’s accession to the EU, after which the island can only benefit from funds through Brussels.
Refalo made a personal appeal to Memmo asking him whether his country would be ready to supply Gozo’s hospital with two ambulances, an X-ray machine and other radiological equipment after the sister island got just Lm120,000 out of the Lm30 million protocol.
In his letter Refalo explained how Gozo would receive just 0.4 per cent of the total allocation, the last of the protocols which first started in 1978.
“This is certainly not equal or just considering the island’s area is 27 per cent that of Malta and its population around nine per cent of the total, and considering it has become the order of the day to leave Gozo is thirsting for the goodwill of the funds Italy gives to Malta,” the Gozitan MP wrote.
Refalo also wrote that in the previous four protocols, totalling around EUR30.7 million (Lm13.2m), Gozo was the beneficiary of just Lm150,000 which were used for the Mgarr marina’s yachting berths back in the 90s.
“In these circumstances I am turning to you to ask you if Italy can in some way help Gozo in its efforts to improve its level of socio-economic development which is still lagging, at present at 70 per cent of the Maltese level,” the MP’s appeal read.
Memmo, who answered the MP just four days later, expressed his remorse for the way Gozo “benefited in such an irrelevant manner” from the Italian funds, but reminded him the money was tied to 12 specific projects submitted by the Maltese government. “In these conditions I am afraid it will not be possible for my country to accede to your request.”
mvella@mediatoday.com.mt
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