CEOE has decided to hold the next meeting of its governing bodies in Ceuta, scheduled for September 9, as a gesture of "support, closeness, and commitment" to the Ceuta citizenry, its business fabric, the self-employed, workers, and institutions, after the "serious events" recorded at the end of July, "which threaten national sovereignty and compromise the security, coexistence of the citizens of Ceuta, and the normal development of economic activity in the autonomous city."
As noted this Tuesday by the Spanish employers' association in a public statement, the meeting, which will be led by Antonio Garamendi, will bring together the vice presidents of CEOE and the main territorial leaders of the business organization.
On the agenda of the governing bodies is the analysis of the security and logistics situation in the autonomous city "and the necessary support of the State in defending the rights of citizens and the territorial integrity of Ceuta and Melilla," which is "non-negotiable" and forms part of Spain and the European Union, warns the organization.
Likewise, the employers' association will study the catalog of urgent measures to safeguard the economic and social fabric of Ceuta that the Confederation of Employers of Ceuta (CECE), chaired by Arantxa Campos, has sent to the Ministry of Economy.
The aim of these proposals is to protect companies and individuals, sustain employment, and prevent the costs arising from an extraordinary and temporary crisis from becoming structural burdens for the economic and social framework of Ceuta.
According to CEOE, these initiatives should be integrated into an extraordinary recovery and economic shielding plan for the city, acting in a coordinated manner on solvency, liquidity, debt, employment, and security, in order to prevent the current situation from weighing down consumption and investment.
Temporary moratoriums, direct aid, and reinforcement of security
Among the business proposals is the temporary implementation of moratoriums or deferrals on obligations with the Administration to free up liquidity and gain margin for recovery; direct aid to compensate for the economic damage arising from the crisis; facilities for the restructuring and refinancing of debt that allow adapting maturities and financial burden to the new scenario; as well as specific actions to protect and sustain employment.
Likewise, it is proposed to enable an extraordinary line of aid aimed at covering the additional needs for surveillance, protection, and private security generated by the crisis, along with an administrative simplification that ensures that the measures are processed swiftly and applied immediately, thus guaranteeing their effectiveness.
Support for the concentrations on September 2
"In the face of a concerning crisis, which generates indignation and drags on over time, CEOE reiterates its commitment to Ceuta and to all its citizens and expressly supports the concentrations that have been called throughout Spain on the next September 2, coinciding with the day of the Autonomous City of Ceuta, in solidarity with the Ceuta people," states the employers' association in its statement.
The organization led by Antonio Garamendi emphasizes that Spanish companies will continue to contribute to job creation, economic progress, and social cohesion, "from the conviction that business activity is one of the main factors of stability and prosperity of society."