The president of the Chamber of Commerce of Lanzarote and La Graciosa, José Valle, has held a working meeting with the Insular Director of the General Administration of the State in Lanzarote, Pedro Viera, to address current challenges in terms of security, connectivity, and the development of strategic infrastructures.
Representatives of the Guardia Civil and the Policía Nacional also attended the meeting, reinforcing the necessary line of collaboration between the business sector and the State Security Forces and Corps.
During the session, the progress in the implementation of the automated passport control system at César Manrique Airport was analyzed, an improvement that, although it is in the implementation phase, will mean greater agility in the service in the medium term.
Valle insisted that the investment in airport facilities is a priority, not only for the comfort of users, but to optimize the procedures of attention to tourists from third countries at border controls.
In matters of citizen security, the attendees highlighted that, although Lanzarote maintains positive data and general stability, it is fundamental to maintain the presence of agents on the streets with a preventive and deterrent character.
In this regard, the Chamber and the Insular Directorate agreed to work jointly on disseminating information and advice from the Ministry of the Interior on cybersecurity in companies and secure trade. This collaboration will materialize in specific communication actions for local entrepreneurs, such as talks, social media, and newsletters, in order to strengthen the protection of the productive fabric against new digital threats.
Regarding port activity, the meeting served to bring to the table the need for new investments in the Port of Arrecife and the optimization of the functioning of the Border Inspection Post (PIF).
Likewise, the possibility was explored that the Port of Playa Blanca begins to receive small cruise ships, an operation that will require the intervention of the Security Forces for immigration procedures.
In the urban sphere, Viera underscored the urgency of resolving the administrative situation of the Muelle de la Cebolla to undertake the necessary repairs in an area with high pedestrian traffic from tourists and residents.
Finally, the chamber president conveyed the unpostponable need to design a high-capacity, high-frequency transport system for the axis connecting Costa Teguise, Arrecife, and Puerto del Carmen, a topic on which there is consensus among the affected town councils and with which the Insular Director agreed.
In this area is concentrated the majority of the population and the mobility problems are increasingly serious, so it is necessary to project a solution immediately. As Valle explained, this action is one of the strategic lines included in the Activation Plan developed by the Chamber, as it is a structural problem for which there is absolute consensus on the island for its resolution.
