Gozo Shadow Minister Alex Borg has reacted to the 2025 National Budget, 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 down with Borg and gave her candid opinion on what was presented earlier this month, warning that if the government does not start investing seriously in a number of essential sectors within Gozo, such as health, education and business, the island will become “a retirement home.”

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

However, when asked which sector is most in desperate need of major investment, he decisively responded “health.”

Borg went on to point out contradictions between Finance Minister Clyde Caruana’s budget and Health Minister Jo-Etienne Abela’s promises relating to a new General Hospital in Gozo.

He explained that the decline in capital expenditure at the Gozo General Hospital, as outlined in the recently presented budget, suggests that it appears unlikely to complete the first phase of the new hospital within the first three months of 2025, as Abela stated. In addition to this, he noted that no permits have been issued for this project and that the government has not yet called applicants for a tender.

“I don’t know if it’s possible for all of this to be executed in the next five months.”

What was your opinion on the 2025 budget?