The economic return of the initiative of the Santa Cruz Consumption Bonds in the city leaves no doubt, at least according to the data handled by the Capital City Council, which yesterday took stock of this direct support for consumption, and announced that it is already working to repeat the move next year. This was announced by the mayor, José Manuel Bermúdez, who pointed out that, with an expenditure on bonds of 298,000 euros, which translates into more than 43,000 titles sold in the 370 participating companies, and that were acquired by more than 12,000 people, they had in the city a return of 800,000 euros. The councilor delegate of the Development Society, Alfonso Cabello, explained these figures. “We put 350,000 euros to launch this initiative to buy double and pay half, money that had an impact of 700,000 euros, since the other half was provided by customers. The money up to 800,000 euros are the induced effects, that is, of the additional expenditure from consumption in the city ”.
Given these numbers, the second edition of the Santa Cruz Consumer Bonds is guaranteed next year, with an additional 50,000 euros in budget, that is, 400,000, with which it is expected to reach an impact of one million euros on the city’s economy. The operation will be similar. “Half the value of the bond will be paid, and the other half will be provided by us,” Cabello pointed out. New types of documents will be introduced and work will be done to make them work like a purse card. “Technically it will be very complicated for us, but what we want is for people to be able to load that card with certain amounts that they can spend in different businesses. It would be like a consumer loyalty card with Santa Cruz, that’s what we want ”added the delegate mayor of the Development Society.
Both the mayor and Cabello pointed out that the 2022 consumer bond campaign will begin after the sales period. “We understand that from November to February, consumption does not need incentives because it is already a time when purchases increase,” Bermúdez explained. For his part, Cabello explained that they are working on the possibility of activating special discounts coinciding with certain dates of the year.
The mayor valued the initiative, especially the aspect of the collaboration carried out with the Federation of Urban Areas of the Canary Islands (Fauca), manager of the project. “Consumption bonds have shown that public-private collaboration works,” said the mayor, words that were seconded by Fauca’s secretary general, Abbas Mounjir.
For his part, the latter added that in the first three months of the launch of this pioneering initiative in the Canary Islands, “many businesses used up the bonds they had assigned, despite the fact that the initiative ends in November.” He also claimed that some owners told him that this measure had saved them from closure.
The mayor of Economic Promotion, Evelyn Alonso, congratulated the City Council for the success of the campaign. “This is the best way to help people, taking the money directly to the citizens.”
Criticism of the lack of support from the Cabildo de Tenerife
Alfonso Cabello did not want to miss the opportunity to openly criticize the lack of support for this initiative by the Cabildo de Tenerife. “From minute one we spoke with the Cabildo to seek their support, and, to this day, we continue to wait for an answer.” “Santa Cruz cannot allow the absence of the most important administration of the Island in such an important project, which has demonstrated its solvency, and which could be implemented in the rest of the municipalities, with the association that they wanted, but we have. had to do it alone, “he added. The mayor seconded his words.
