On the 13th July 2023 Daniel Borg, CEO of the Gozo Business Chamber participated in a conference organised by the Malta Employers Association entitled “Malta’s Low Birth Rate – An Existential Challenge”. The event was organised at the premises of the Parliament of Malta. In his intervention Daniel Borg highlighted that between 2011, and 2021 Gozo experienced a 25% increase in its population. This increase was spurred principally by the migratory flow. In sharing his reflections on the issue, Daniel Borg highlighted that this has brought with it new challenges and changes for which we were not prepared. This includes for example the excessive developments happening on the island, and new realities which are not catered for, as certain services for migrants available on the main island of Malta are not available in Gozo. He also pointed out to the higher old-age dependency ratio in Gozo. This means that Gozo needs new services which are targeted towards the elderly, and stressed the need for the old people’s home in Għajnsielem to be completed. Nonetheless, there also needs to be a targeted approach towards creating more economic niches for the island, as many young Gozitan professionals are settling in Malta give the lack of employment opportunities on the island.
You can find the agenda here.
You can access the presentation by Kirsten Cutajar Miller here.
You can access Daniel Borg’s intervention here.
