The CEO of the Gozo Business Chamber Daniel Borg intervened during a Conference organised by the Għarb Local Council and which discussed the topic of ‘Citizens Active in Local Democracy’. In his intervention he focused on the important role of the Gozo Business Chamber:
“as a Chamber we believe that we have to provide a vision. We must not be simply a lobby group but an organisation which brings real change to our society and economy. These two aspects are both linked and dependent on each other, and it would be a mistake if we were to divide the two. We must not be simply an organisation representing commercial interests, but a community organisation, and that is also shown by many of our members who are not only simply business people, but are also involved in the local community.”
He remarked that while the governance scenario in Gozo may be a complex one there are many participatory actors which play a very important part in ensuring that Gozo’s issues are brought to the fore at every level. Daniel Borg also provided an overview of the Gozitan economy, which he commented is too reliant on sectors such as tourism, construction, and real estate which have a significant impact on the environment. He highlighted that during the COVID-19 pandemic the Gozitan economy survived because of domestic tourism. Nonetheless this calls for a more diversified and sustainable economy in Gozo.
Throughout the past years the Chamber has worked in order to formulate and implement concrete actions within the community to foster this aim. This includes initiatives such as the Youth4Entrepreneurship Gozo.
Innovation, accessibility and infrastructure remain key priority areas for Gozo. In his concluding remarks Daniel Borg highlighted how “we must be innovative and forward looking. In front of all the changes that we are facing today, that is the only way forward to thrive.”
You can read the whole intervention here.
