The Gozo Regional Council has labelled the exclusion of Gozo local councils from a particular funding scheme as ‘discriminatory’.
The Gozo Regional Council, in a statement, drew attention “to the fact that Gozitan Local Councils have once again been excluded from a funding scheme for the restoration of historical sites and monuments.”
This scheme issued by the Strategy and Policy Implementation (SPI) Directorate within the Local Government Division in collaboration with the Restoration and Preservation Department has just been launched and it transpires that the scheme lists specifically the 54 Maltese Local Councils as beneficiaries, then excluding those localities around the Cottonera area (namely Birgu, Bormla, Isla and Kalkara) and also Mdina, as these localities benefit directly on an ongoing basis, from the initiatives of the Rehabilitation Projects Office,” it said.
However, it said that no explanation was given as to why the Gozitan Local Councils have been excluded as potential beneficiaries of the scheme named.
“As a matter of fact, both the Circular and Scheme’s Guidelines received, do not even mention Gozo. This is not the first time that this scheme has been issued with Gozitan Local Councils being excluded without any sort of explanation. In 2022, a similar scheme was issued and Gozitan Local Councils were not permitted to participate. The Gozo Regional Council is requesting that this scheme is made available also to Local Councils in Gozo as beneficiaries, as there are a number of historical sites and monuments in Gozo that need and can be restored with such funding, if these are made available to our Local Councils.”
“There is no basis for such sheer discrimination in this day and age by keeping a whole Region from benefitting from a particular scheme without any justification whatsoever. Local Councils in Gozo deserve to be treated equally, just like the Local Councils in the other Regions of Malta. Nothing more and nothing less.”