Throughout these two months I have heard on numerous occasions talking about what the reality of the Canary Islands will be like after the pandemic passes. Our productive muscle, tourism, suffers today an unprecedented slowdown that weighs down the islands’ economy to unimaginable unemployment and GDP drop figures until now. No one questions anymore that the Canary Islands economy needs specific planning with draft measures to start a recovery that is coming hard.
Small patches are not worth for a seriously damaged economic structure, nor are sectoral plans that do not cover recovery from a medium and long-term vision sufficient. We need to strengthen job creation, encourage the economy and reach those who are having the worst, because otherwise we will be turning our backs on reality.
We will probably have to slim down the planned investments, if the losses in the fall in the collection of councils and municipalities from the REF, which is calculated at more than 593 million euros, are not offset. Given this scenario, the councils have reiterated to the State the urgency of establishing a direct dialogue. We want to know what the forecasts are and reach agreements that shed light on the uncertain future of the accounts of local administrations, since the more than foreseeable reduction in income will hinder the provision of essential public services and attention to the most disadvantaged sectors of the Canarian society.
The determining factors of this Autonomous Community are not similar to those of any other. To the distance that exists with the continent, the relevance of tourism in the productive fabric, the structural deficits that we have been suffering and the dependence on abroad are added. With this panorama, we must take advantage of the situation and open the door to diversification, with tourism as a pillar, but giving weight to our primary sector and industry.
I have reiterated that the optimization of public resources must now be more rigorous than ever. I am referring to avoiding duplication between the recovery measures that we implement, for this reason, I have proposed a space of understanding agreed between the regional government, councils and municipalities. Unity of action and the strength of coordination will bring good results so that the long-awaited recovery reaches all canaries.
All these measures must be accompanied by a specific economic plan for the Islands, together with the authorization to resort to massive and long-term debt. The State must open its hand to those territories that we have complied with during the times of adjustment, and the Canary Islands have done so. Now, this plan and the debt have to be linked to the use of the surplus to complete the corners of a puzzle that depends on the economic health of the Canarian administrations and their ability to cope with everything that is to come.
These are the main lines of negotiation that we will open next week with the Ministry of Finance, a space for dialogue to which we will not go alone. We have proposed that the Government of the Canary Islands lead it and also the municipalities. We need certainties, we cannot waste more time. It is time to give an answer.
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