Watch: ‘If the health and education sectors are not taken seriously, Gozo will become a retirement home’

Gozo’s Shadow Minister Alex Borg has responded to the 2025 National Budget by saying that while it includes many measures that benefit people in the short term, it lacks a sustainable vision, especially for Gozo.

Lovin Malta’s Ana Tortell sat with Borg and he gave his candid views on what was presented earlier this month, warning that if the government does not seriously invest in a number of key sectors in Gozo – such as healthcare, education and business – the island becomes a ‘retirement home’.

One of Borg’s main criticisms is that the final budget document excludes a large number of measures proposed by Gozitan’s social partners during pre-budget meetings. He gave several examples of measures that could have been implemented in many sectors.

However, when asked which sector most urgently needed a major investment, he answered firmly “health”.

Borg further pointed out the contradictions between Finance Minister Clyde Caruana’s budget and Health Minister Jo-Etienne Abela’s promises regarding a new general hospital in Gozo.

He explained that the decline in capital expenditure for the Gozo General Hospital, as set out in the recently unveiled budget, indicates that it appears unlikely that the first phase of the new hospital will be completed within the first three months of 2025 – as Abela stated. He also points out that no permits have yet been issued for this project and that the government will not yet issue a tender.

“I don’t know how possible it is that all of this will be implemented within the next five months.”

What was your opinion on the 2025 budget?