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Updated | Budget cuts in Gozo to hit work, tourism and elderly, says Anton Refalo
Labour MP says the only service for the elderly which exists in Gozo is to suffer a €20,000 cut due to the budgetary revision.
28 March 2012, 12:00am
Miriam Dalli
Miriam Dalli
2 min read
In Gozo there are no night shelters, no public retirement homes, no structures for those who suffer from dementia and no respite care for the elderly, says Labour MP Anton Refalo
Adds reaction by government
Gozo Minister Giovanna Debono said that the budget for the Gozo Ministry increased by €2.3 million over 2011.
Debono said it was not true that only one service was available for the elderly in Gozo.
"The elderly can today benefit form services such as meals on wheels, the handyman service, telecare and a day centre available for all the elderly. There is also the university for third age," the ministry said.
It added that government also set up Dar Sant' Anna as a residence for elderly women and a geriatric section for men.
The Gozo Ministry also criticised Refalo for having criticised the building project of the Gozo ITS in the first place. "In the past two years, government invested over €1 million to advertise Gozo as a tourist destination. Moreover, 20 cruise liners have confirmed they will be stopping in Gozo, with the possibility that this number could increase," the ministry said.
On work, the ministry that ETC had found jobs for 699 persons, while vacancies reached 2,290. It said that 200 of the 700 companies that benefited from the Microinvest scheme operated in Gozo.
Female participation also increased by 676 women.
On Eco-Gozo, the ministry said that Gozo benefitted from the concept through investment in the economy, environment, the social sector, and investment in cultural and historical projects.
Earlier
Labour's spokesman for Gozo Anton Refalo said that the budgetary revision for the Ministry for Gozo will directly impact the work, elderly and tourism sectors.
Refalo said that even though government had admitted that the biggest hurdle was to create jobs in Gozo, it has now reduced the budget allocated for wages where vacant posts will not be replaced.
"Even though Gozo has an ever-growing ageing population, there are no night shelters, no public retirement homes, no structures for those who suffer from dementia and no respite care for the elderly. Now government has cut €20,000 from the home help care service - the only available service for the elderly in Gozo," Refalo said.
On tourism, Refalo said that despite government's insistence to help attract more tourism to the island, it has now cut the budget for the Gozo Institute for Tourism Studies by 35%.
"The school will have to run on a budget of €78,000 for the whole year," he said.
He also said that funds for the Eco-Gozo have not been touched, "even though the funds are being used for things which have nothing to do with the concept of Eco-Gozo".
Miriam Dalli joined MaltaToday.com.mt in 2010 becoming assistant editor f...
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What about dose old people that have reletives in prison.400 years ago we had a prison ,now 2012 still we dont have our owen prison.
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With deep regret as a Gozitan I must say that the Ministry for Gozo Exercise has proved to be an absolute complete disaster. There are more people getting their Government pay without going to work, more than ever, now. And these people are from both PN and MLP.
In fact a good joke going around nowadays directed towards MLP supporters is that if the PN loses the government they would have to at least star to report to work on a daily basis each morning!
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With deep regret as a Gozitan I must say that the Ministry for Gozo Exercise has proved to be an absolute complete disaster. There are more people getting their Government pay without going to work, more than ever, now. And these people are from both PN and MLP.
In fact a good joke going around nowadays directed towards MLP supporters is that if the PN loses the government they would have to at least star to report to work on a daily basis each morning!
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Thank God that in Gozo, ppl still take care of their elderly. If not, what would happen to them, who will take care of them; surely not the govt?
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This goverment created lots economic promlems for Gozo,and there is a cry that you hear from young people most of the time.[ma hawnx mnejn taqla urow].At the same time where ever you look is broken,it need to be fix,so we have work for everybody,they just dont want to do it.We also need a decent nursing home,when we get old what we are going to do?
