The Lanzarote Business Confederation (CEL) has expressed its concern about the possible consequences of the green tax on kerosene, which could increase the price of flights connecting the Canary Islands with foreign countries.
The president of the CEL, Francisco Martínez, points out that the green tax will directly affect the price of plane and boat tickets, and this could have "devastating effects", both on the tourism sector directly, and on the activity of small and medium-sized businesses on the island that are supported by tourism.
"Taking into account that a large part of our visitors come from the European Union or from abroad, the Government of the Canary Islands must try to find a solution so that the Archipelago extends the exemption from the tax that has been achieved in the Islands abroad. Likewise, the Government of Spain should and must take action to defend the singularities of our territory," says Martínez.
"In order to have any possibility of achieving this exemption, which we are aware entails difficulties due to the fact that it is an international regulation, the regional Executive must fly the flag of the Outermost Region (OR) status of the Archipelago, so it must have a broader exception in the application of this measure," suggests the president.
Finally, the president warns that "actions are coming late, but it is still very important that our interests are defended in Europe, especially in a situation as delicate as this, at a time when we are recovering from a global crisis and with improvements in employment, in the creation and growth of companies and in many of the main economic indicators."
