SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, June 30. (EUROPE PRESS) –
The President of the Government of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, has advanced this Thursday that the Executive has begun with the previous work to prepare the 2023 budgets that will be “objective and realistic” and bearing in mind the maintenance of basic public services.
Speaking to journalists after meeting with the president of CEOE-Tenerife, Pedro Alfonso, Torres commented that services are a “priority” for his Government, as evidenced by the fact that they have maintained the 10,000 new professionals incorporated into the areas of Health and Education as a result of the pandemic.
However, he specified that “we have to see how the economy is doing”, especially at the end of the year given that there are “guarantees” that there will be a good summer, stressing that “the best news” would be that the invasion of Ukraine would end because “It costs lives” and “the economy would be readjusted” given that the conflict “was not foreseeable and has disrupted the plans of the international community.”
In addition, he has valued that the collection of the autonomous community for the first semester is above what was expected, something that was done in an “intelligent” way to make it easier to undertake credit modifications during the year, while also fulfilling spending forecasts.
Torres, who has valued the loyalty and “rigorous work” of business employers during this legislature, has commented that “it is very important” that there be regional budgets next year and also General State Budgets because “it is key to not pull extended ones”.
He pointed out that “in the short term” the economy of the islands marks a “favorable evolution” and this month will close with “good data” in terms of employment, tourists and economic development, so the recovery “is objective”.
In addition, he has said that there are “good prospects” for this summer, with 10% more air capacity than in 2019, although he is “concerned” that inflation could affect winter tourism-emitting countries such as Germany, the United Kingdom or the nordic
“The forecasts are optimistic but everything will depend on the increase in the cost of living or the problems of gas supply in Germany”, he underlined.
On the possibility of taking measures to help contain the rise in prices, he has indicated that there is not a financial crisis but a crisis caused by “absence of supply and energy problems and aggravated by the invasion”, so there may be inflation situation that “touches the ceiling” with the CPI at 10.2%.
He has said that the Canary Islands is the least inflationist community but makes it clear that “everything would change if the conflict came to an end”.
I EXPECT INFLATION TO ADJUST IN 2023
The president believes that in 2023 “everything can be relocated” and in the meantime, he has highlighted the aid that the Government of the Canary Islands is giving to the productive sectors — he is going to ask the European Commission for an advance on Posei for farmers — and that the Council of Ministers approved this Wednesday the new wording that exempts the Canary Islands as an RUP from emission rights until 2030 for maritime and air transport.
In his opinion, it is a “very important” step because although the islands have a “commitment” to defending the environment and renewable energies, it is “clear” that any rise in prices that makes people pay more for transport “harms the Canary Islands “.
Torres has also said that they will walk “hand in hand with the employers” to get the best possible proposal and that the community has “their backs covered” in the face of the difficulties that may arise.
Likewise, it has again ruled out massive tax cuts and yes, reinforce public services such as dependency or social services via concerted plans because when there are economic difficulties “who pay the most are the most vulnerable sectors”, something that the last Survey has collected of Living Conditions of the INE with an increase in poverty in the archipelago.
“That’s where we need to focus our goal and focus on our competencies,” he added.
