A hundred companies and self-employed workers from the archipelago have denounced the "breach" of the agreement reached with Puertos Canarios and the Ministry of Transport of the Government of the Canary Islands, which established the total or partial reimbursement of fees and charges in port facilities.
These are companies from all the islands that operate within the tourist nautical sector and tourist maritime excursions and that have been "seriously affected" by the crisis generated by Covid-19.
In a statement, they point out that since the declaration of the state of alarm, on March 14, "the entire tourism sector of the archipelago has suffered the worst drop in activity ever experienced" and that, within this sector, tourist maritime activity has suffered "an almost complete paralysis."
In this regard, they point out that it is estimated that the reduction in the arrival of tourists to the islands from March to September 2020 is around 80% less compared to 2019, according to data from Promotur – Turismo de Canarias. However, they denounce that "Puertos Canarios continues to send each of these companies all their receipts, as if they were at full capacity." "While public administrations force individuals and companies to reach agreements on rentals or provision of services, they do not do the same," say these Canarian companies in the tourist nautical sector.
Legal actions
According to them, the agreement between Puertos Canarios, the Ministry and the representatives of these companies "agreed from the state of alarm decreed by the Central Government, established the elimination or 100% reimbursement of port fees and charges during confinement. It also contemplated a reduction of these costs of 75% in the season from July to September; and 50% from September to December.
These companies, which have already initiated the appropriate legal actions, request Puertos Canarios and the Ministry of Transport to comply "urgently" with the agreement adopted "to guarantee the survival of a basic sector for tourism on the islands." In addition, they require the extension of this agreement at least until next summer given the forecasts in the evolution of the pandemic.
