The Deputy Secretary of Economy and Sustainable Development of the PP, Alberto Nadal, participated this Saturday in a meeting with entrepreneurs in Badajoz, where he detailed some of the commitments that Alberto Núñez Feijóo will assume if he wins the elections on November 29. Among them, he mentioned an "important effort" in water infrastructure and an emergency plan to expedite connections to the electrical system for industrial projects and new technologies, such as data centers, in addition to measures for the protection of the countryside and a deregulation effort.
Before the meeting, organized by the Independent Confederation of Entrepreneurs and Self-Employed (CIEM) together with the Chamber of Commerce of Badajoz, Nadal stated to the media that the "result" of Pedro Sánchez's legislature has been "a impoverishment of the Spaniards" and that the economic growth that the Executive "boasts" about has been supported by the arrival of half a million people to Spain, but not in an advance of productivity, average wages, nor in that "Spaniards live better".
"Finally, we have an opportunity for change, an opportunity to make a different economic policy whose central objective is to raise the wages of Spaniards, whose final objective is not for everyone to earn the minimum wage, but to raise the average wage," Nadal stated.
To achieve this, the PP proposes to increase investment, reduce the tax burden, and "reward effort," while ensuring that public spending is allocated "well" and "in the future." "Something that our autonomous communities are already doing, like the government of Extremadura led by María Guardiola," the 'popular' leader defended.
He then emphasized that Spain has increased revenue by 200,000 euros, has raised public debt by 500,000 million euros, and has had "European funds like no one else," but is still "the second to last country in Europe in public investment."
"What does it translate to? It translates to the fact that here, in Extremadura, the high-speed train has not yet arrived. It translates to the fact that the roadways are poorly maintained and some of the essential roads are lacking. It translates to the fact that we do not have water infrastructure to be able to increase irrigation and we cannot maintain the existing irrigation. It translates to the fact that access to the electrical grid is hindering both electricity generation projects and housing, industrial, or data center attraction projects," Nadal pointed out.
In the face of this scenario, the representative of the PP has assured that the candidate of his party for the Presidency of the Government, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, sets as goals to raise the standard of living of citizens, boost investment, and implement an emergency plan to guarantee access to the electrical system for industrial, residential, and new technology projects, among others, within 18 months.
Likewise, he has reiterated his commitment to undertake a "significant effort" in water infrastructure, strengthen protection for farmers, and implement deregulation that allows for the elimination of "a good part of the bureaucracy" that self-employed individuals and SMEs endure.
Autonomous financing and grievance to Extremadura
The head of the PP list for Congress in Badajoz, Teresa Tortonda, also attended the meeting, focusing her intervention on the current Government's proposal for autonomous financing, which foresees "additional financing of more than 21 billion euros," of which, she has denounced, Extremadura "receives absolutely nothing."
"We are not asking for anything that does not belong to us. We want justice, but we also do not want to be looked at and told that what they are going to give us is charity. We want that justice because Extremadura has been the great forgotten and we undoubtedly need the support of the Government of Spain, of the new president, President Alberto Núñez Feijóo," Tortonda stated.
The candidate added that in Extremadura there is a "deficit in communication and connectivity infrastructure" and warned that "it is of no use to have investors" if the region cannot connect adequately with the rest of Spain and Europe.
"Extremadura has become a pole of attraction for data center companies and companies that want to come to invest in Extremadura," he indicated, to emphasize next that the community "is risking" more than three million euros if it does not have the necessary network to activate all those projects.
Dialogue day with the business fabric
The meeting, held behind closed doors, has been conceived as a space for dialogue and exchange of proposals between business representatives and Nadal, with the aim of conveying the concerns of companies and self-employed individuals and analyzing the necessary measures to boost economic activity and job creation, according to the Chamber of Commerce of Badajoz in a statement.
During the session, key issues for the productive fabric have been addressed, such as business taxation, public and private investment, productivity, competitiveness, and the convenience of having a "stable" regulatory and tax framework that "provides security to companies and facilitates long-term decision-making."
Likewise, the economic development opportunities of Extremadura, its energy and industrial potential, the improvement of infrastructure and connections, and the need to promote projects "capable of generating economic activity, qualified employment, and greater added value" have been highlighted.