Yesterday, CEOE Tenerife unveiled the annual summary of Construyendo Futuro, a project aimed at advancing the essential infrastructures deemed necessary for the Island. These initiatives, according to the organisation, “are not progressing as swiftly as we desire, except in certain mobility aspects where advancements are being made.”
This was articulated by the president of the employers’ association, Pedro Alfonso, who stated that there is an investment potential of €5 billion and the prospect of 94,000 jobs materialising should these essential infrastructures in airports, port facilities, roadways, and telecommunications be supported.
During a forum held at the Mencey Hotel, attended by around one hundred guests, including business leaders, members of the regional Government, the Tenerife Cabildo, and the Santa Cruz City Council, the employers’ association, with its president and general secretary, Eduardo Bezares, as hosts, outlined the essential elements for encouraging the economic and social advancement of Tenerife. This includes fostering public-private partnerships, realising pending investments, and reducing bureaucracy.
One of the report’s key findings indicates that three out of ten projects have seen no progress in 2024, with only two out of ten reaching execution phases.
Reducing processing times emerged as a primary demand from the business sector and was echoed by political representatives. Pedro Alfonso remarked that “the administration itself is failing to complete projects on schedule; many of these are private. For instance, in housing, it takes us two years to secure a licence and an additional three years to complete them.” Alfonso underscored mobility, competitiveness, and productivity as vital factors “for the Canary Islands to advance.”
Cap on Population or Not?
When questioned about the difficulties companies face in recruiting staff, particularly given the goal of creating 94,000 jobs solely in Tenerife, Pedro Alfonso expressed opposition to imposing limits on the population. He argued for the need for migrants “who arrive with a work contract, particularly when we are unable to employ locals due to a lack of availability. A person who contributes, pays taxes, and spends in the Canary Islands is welcomed. We believe the focus should be on updating the infrastructure, which is lagging 20 years behind, having experienced a population increase of 40%,” he asserted.
The president of the Cabildo of Tenerife, Rosa Dávila, highlighted the establishment of a team to “oversee strategic projects in investments and infrastructure,” emphasising the significance of public-private collaboration in this domain.
The mayor, José Manuel Bermúdez, enumerated several investments and projects launched in the capital while underscoring the importance of mobility. “We advocate for the completion of the island ring road in the metropolitan area. We are primarily focused on developments in the South, yet we must not overlook the North South ring road, which would alleviate traffic between Santa Cruz and La Laguna on the TF-5,” he stated.
In response, the vice-counselor of the Presidency of the Government, Alfonso Cabello, emphasised that to address Tenerife’s challenges, “it is crucial that we have clarity on what the General State Budgets for the coming years will entail, whether it will facilitate a new agreement for educational infrastructure, highway projects, or the future of the airports,” among other concerns.
