Nationalist MP slams Gozo ministry for improper planning, accessibility issues

EU funds should be allocated towards improving the roads in Gozo, Nationalist MP Chris said on Tuesday, explaining that the current administration has failed to assign any such funds towards fixing roads.

Speaking in parliament, Said explained that the state of the roads in Gozo are far worse than those in Malta, and that the Nationalist administration was utilising EU funds in order to build new arterial roads.

Citing a number of roads which were built under the previous administration, Said pointed out that Labour did not build a single road from EU funds in the past five years.

In response to a parliamentary question, European Affairs Minister Helena Dalli confirmed that there were no applications for roads in Gozo from the Operational Programme European Structures and Investment Funds 2014 - 2020.

“Who will shoulder the responsibility? The Transport Minister or the Gozo Minister? Or will the minister once again put the blame on the PN?” Said asked.

Said explained that Gozo stood to benefit from direct funds, and that the government ought to see to it that such an opportunity is not lost.

Criticising the speech delivered by Gozo Minister Justyne Caruana on Monday, Said said that the improved accessibility between the islands of Malta and Gozo was due to the efforts of the Nationalist administration.

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Said explained that the modern terminals in Mgarr and Cirkewwa, as well as the roads which lead to them, were all the results of the PN in government. He went on to criticise what he said were “excuses” by Caruana as to why a fourth ferry was not forthcoming.

“There is an urgent need for a fourth ferry, and the government should have planned for it long ago, and should have taken the necessary decisions years ago. Nothing happened, and now there is panic and chaos nearly every day,” Said said.

Said criticised the “absence of a plan” when it came to accessibility between Malta and Gozo, calling on the Gozo minister to publish the plan which she said she had for all the public to see.

The MP also expressed concern at the fact that the primary school, which is set to be built in Rabat, Gozo, will not include parking. “What is the ministry doing in order to not aggravate the parking situation?” he asked.