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Exclusion from MCESD comes as a surprise
by Ivan Brincat
The decision not to allow the Gozo Business Chamber to form
part of the newly constituted Malta Council for Economic and
Social Development came as a complete surprise, according to
chamber President John Magro.
Speaking to The Malta Business Weekly, he said the Gozo Business
Chamber fails to understand why it has been excluded from the
council.
“If the government wanted Gozo to be a region and start
to institutionalise the island, then it should have considered
the Gozo Business Chamber for membership of the MCESD.
“The decision came as a surprise to us and we cannot understand
the logic behind the government’s decision to leave us
out,” Mr Magro said.
Gozo should be considered a region, he said, because the government
had created a ministry there, set up an office of the university
and Gozo General Hospital. “All these are examples that
show why Gozo is being considered as a region,” Mr Magro
said.
“However, we are not part of the most important forum in
the country even though we represent the business community
in Gozo,” he said.
The Gozo Business Chamber was set up in December 1999 to promote
and lobby the interests of the Gozo business community. It is
made up of six different sections representing industry, tourism
and agriculture, among others. The Gozo Business Chamber President
said the two political parties agree that Gozo should be administered
as a region. “But the crux of the matter is different.
The structures are not in place for Gozo to be considered a
region and there also seems to be resistance from certain quarters.”
Mr Magro said they were satisfied that statistics for Gozo were
now being published. He asked why Gozo had been excluded from
having a voice on the MCESD. “It is important that we are
present as well because Gozo will be able to tap regional funds
as an island region when Malta joins the European Union,”
Mr Magro said.
In March, the Gozo Business Chamber had protested with the European
Union’s Economic and Social Committee (ECOSOC) because
it was not represented at
the Malta Council for Economic Development.
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