The Popular Party of Santa Úrsula has expressed its opposition to the municipal government’s decision to request the Canary Islands Government to declare the municipality a Zone of Large Tourist Affluence (ZGAT). According to Popular Councillor Jorge Ojeda, implementing this measure would allow large commercial establishments to open on Sundays and public holidays, which, in his view, would represent “a further blow to small local businesses.”
Ojeda believes that the initiative would primarily benefit large chains and disadvantage self-employed individuals, small entrepreneurs, and family-run businesses operating in Santa Úrsula. For this reason, the PP will call for the immediate withdrawal of the request. The councillor argues that if the goal were to expand commercial offerings on Sundays and public holidays, small establishments already have legal mechanisms in place to do so. He points out that current regulations permit shops under 400 square metres to open on those days, thus asserting that the declaration of ZGAT “lacks usefulness for traditional commerce.”
Lack of Support for the Local Business Model
According to the Popular Party, the proposal highlights a lack of support for the local economic model and those who create jobs and activity within the municipality. Ojeda warns that small traders do not have the same human or financial resources as large retailers to compete on equal terms. “Each closure of a small business means less employment, less economic activity, and less vitality in our streets,” he states. The PP urges the local government to rectify and withdraw a measure it considers detrimental to traditional commerce, local employment, and the economic fabric of Santa Úrsula.
