GBC calls for action on Mġarr Harbour, airfield and logistics hub in Budget 2027

The Gozo Business Chamber has called on Government to use Budget 2027 to move ahead with major infrastructure projects for the island, including the expansion of Mġarr Harbour, the Gozo Rural Airfield and a dedicated logistics hub.

In its Budget 2027 proposals, titled From Commitment to Implementation, the Chamber argued that the first budget of the new legislature should shift the focus from identifying Gozo’s structural challenges and making policy commitments towards delivering tangible outcomes.

A number of proposals previously put forward by the Chamber are now wholly or partly reflected in Government’s programme for the legislature. As a result, it said the next step should be to establish clear programmes backed by institutional responsibility, adequate resources, realistic timelines and measurable milestones.

Among its main infrastructure priorities is the expansion and futureproofing of Mġarr Harbour, which the Chamber wants to see financed through Budget 2027 and aligned with the future requirements of the ferry fleet.

The Chamber noted that Mġarr is Gozo’s principal maritime gateway and simultaneously accommodates passenger, vehicle and freight movements alongside commercial, fishing, leisure and tourism activity.

Passenger movements through the harbour reached 7.4 million in 2025, while the Chamber said maritime and landside infrastructure is increasingly approaching its practical limits.

It argued that the development of the ferry fleet and Mġarr Harbour should therefore be treated as a single programme.

“Increasing vessel capacity without simultaneously addressing berthing, manoeuvring, marshalling and landside capacity risks transferring the constraint from the ferry service to the port itself,” the Chamber said.

It added that the Budget 2027 should establish an implementation pathway covering technical, environmental and planning studies, design work, financing and a phased programme of works. Among the improvements envisaged are increased berthing capacity, additional operational and marshalling space, better separation of passenger and freight flows and preparations for future ferry electrification.

Logistics hub to complement Mġarr

The Chamber also wants Government to move its commitment for a Gozo Logistics Hub “from concept to implementation”.

It has previously proposed locating such a facility in the vicinity of the Gozo Rural Airfield, with potential functions including freight consolidation and staging, warehousing, cold-chain facilities, e-commerce fulfilment, last-mile distribution and shared logistics services for SMEs.

Budget 2027 should now define the hub’s location, functions, governance and financing, while ensuring it is properly connected to Mġarr Harbour.

The Chamber said the objective should ultimately be to move away from a harbour-centred transport model towards a wider “resilient island accessibility and logistics system”.

Chamber calls for funding for Gozo airfield

The Chamber is also pressing Government to begin implementing the Gozo Rural Airfield project during the current legislature.

It said preparatory work has already been undertaken and called for Budget 2027 to provide a “realistic financial annual allocation” to allow the project to proceed.

According to the Chamber, the airfield could support high-end tourism, attract people engaged in high-value-added activity to reside in Gozo and provide another form of connectivity for the Gozitan economy. It also sees potential for the facility to support a niche involving unmanned aerial vehicles.

The infrastructure proposals form part of eight priorities identified by the Chamber, which also cover regional governance, innovation and enterprise, financial and professional services, skills and talent, and support for existing businesses.