Regional socio-economic development plan for the South of Malta : part 3 : main report

Abstract

The underpinning of the Regional Socio-Economic Development Plan for the South of Malta of which this write-up forms part, is the democratic process involved: planning for the development of the region started at the grass-roots level - distant from the administrative centre notwithstanding the active participation of the Cabinet Ministries and their liaison officers appointed to act as focal points for the Planning Council. Direct participation of the people and involvement by their elected representatives/councillors would ensure a better response and would reflect the real needs of the locals. Local Councils were invited to be the prime movers of this Plan. They were expected to mobilize all the forces and resources present within their localities to identify both the problems and the opportunities which exist in the region.

Furthermore, to help Local Councils in drawing up their technical reports, the Planning Council had identified a pool of professionals, mainly from the public sector. Six Working Committees were formed, each responsible for an issue which will be covered by the Plan. These Working Committees formed part of the Technical Committee which was coordinated by the Chairman of the Planning Council. Since these Working Committees were to be the fulcrum on which the first phase of the Plan (that is the preparation of the technical reports) turns, the Planning Council organised a set of meetings specifically to bring together the Local Councils and the professionals in order to explain the methodology suggested for adoption in the first phase of the execution of the Plan.