SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, January 15. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The spokesperson for the Socialist Parliamentary Group, Sebastián Franquis, has sent a letter to the president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, to demand “political work” and “commitment” when it comes to reaching two great autonomous pacts to reduce poverty and increase the productivity of the economy of the archipelago, as was already requested by the Socialist Group last November in the Regional Chamber so that the regional Executive can establish an agreement with the Canarian public administrations and the economic and social agents to achieve these objectives.
The letter refers to some autonomous pacts on “structural problems suffered by the Canary Islands”, which contemplate the basic and evaluable aspects that political action must assume in terms of resources, organization of the system and people, with the main purpose of increasing reasonable public investment necessary, both to combat the situation of risk of poverty or social exclusion (especially child and youth poverty), and to improve the productivity of the Canary Islands economy.
Some pacts that, for the Socialist Group, what they seek is a space of consensus linking all political parties, the Canarian public administrations and civil society, and a “firm commitment” in favor of a sustained policy that guarantees equality social and economic development of the Canary Islands.
For the socialists, it is necessary to reach an agreement that allows the development of a common strategy in terms of social policy, focused on solving the problem of poverty that thousands of citizens face every day, with a comprehensive social services policy that is systematic, coherent and sustainable.
“A pact to coordinate policies between the different administrations, which cannot be absent in the stagnation of the productivity of the economy. To do this, it is essential to agree on the objectives of economic and social policies for the coming years and adopt a set of measures that allow progress in the indicated direction,” he points out in a note sent by the Canary Islands PSOE.
To carry out this joint work, it is “indispensable” that a great ‘Social and Political Pact’ be reached to combat poverty and increase the productivity of the Canary Islands economy, which allows the Government of the Canary Islands to establish, in common agreement with the Canary Islands public administrations and the economic and social agents, the objectives and the fundamental lines of work to advance the achievement of these objectives.
PACT AGAINST POVERTY
With respect to the Pact on the situation of risk of poverty or social exclusion, especially child and youth poverty, they remember that, over recent years, the Canary Islands have endured very high rates of risk of poverty or social exclusion, always above of the national average and among the highest positions in the classification by region.
In this sense, they refer to the data from the ‘XIII State of Poverty Report. Monitoring of the European indicator (AROPE) of poverty and social exclusion in Spain 2008-2022’, which places the Canary Islands as the second autonomous community, after Extremadura, with the highest proportion of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion, with a total of 787,860 people, which represents 36.2% of the population, a situation closely linked to child and youth poverty, all despite the fact that this rate fell by 1.6 points compared to 2021.
Specifically, the Canary Islands is the autonomous community with the highest rate of child poverty, with 376,570 boys, girls and adolescents at risk of poverty or social exclusion, a poverty that is inherited in the Canary Islands, since one in three adults has grown up in a home. at risk of poverty or social exclusion.
The report also reflects that the three elements that are weighing down the most vulnerable households on the islands are inflation, housing and supplies, and that the Canary Islands is the autonomous community with the greatest difficulties in making ends meet, affecting the 60% of the population, or to face unforeseen expenses.
PACT TO INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY
The second great pact proposed by the Socialist Group is about productivity as the main weakness of the Canary Islands economy.
According to different recently published reports, low productivity is compromising the economic development of the entire country and is strongly related to low salaries, long working hours or the lack of competitiveness of many companies.
In the Canary Islands, the conclusions that have been obtained for the national territory become even more evident and intense.
The euphoria due to the historical maximum of 997,800 employed people, increasing compared to the previous year by 50,200 people, the second autonomous community with the highest growth in employed people nationwide, and the unemployment rate of 15.2% reported by the EPA for the third quarter of 2023, hides another historical reality: the low productivity of workers and a continuous per capita impoverishment of the population, with the islands moving further and further away from the national average.
That is, there are more people working, although producing less, which leaves the Canary Islands at the bottom of Spain’s productivity.
For this reason, they consider it essential to make a “decided commitment” and forceful commitment to education, from birth and throughout life; multiply R&D efforts; accelerate the digitalization of the productive fabric; take advantage of the opportunities of the ecological transition; reduce as much as possible the distortions generated by administrative obstacles, and tackle the underground economy.
“Only in this way can we create quality employment, pay higher salaries, reduce our vulnerability to crises and foreign competition, and guarantee the maintenance of the welfare state without incurring chronic public deficits or mortgaging the well-being of future generations,” they point out. .
BUDGET COMMITMENT
For the socialists, this pact must have the participation of all political forces and social and private agents involved in the economic and social sphere, and must have the aim of transcending the current legislature, by facing challenges that require determined and prolonged effort. of all administrations, which are safeguarded from eventual and future political changes, with a provision for stability, permanence, certainty and budgetary commitment.
