The Association of Large Distribution Companies (Aged), which represents major brands such as Carrefour, Alcampo, Ikea or Eroski, complained last week that there are investments and jobs that are not going ahead ...
The Association of Large Distribution Companies (Aged), which represents major brands such as Carrefour, Alcampo, Ikea or Eroski, complained last week that there are investments and jobs that are not going ahead due to bureaucratic barriers imposed by the public sector. It is estimated that barriers to new openings of large centers have blocked about 3,000 million euros, which could provide work for about 6,000 families throughout Spain.
In Lanzarote, this weekend I witnessed the bureaucratic harassment suffered by the businessman at the local level. In this case, it was a businessman dedicated mainly to the sale of perfumes and cosmetics, with recognized prestige at the island level, with extensive experience and stores not only in Lanzarote but in other islands of the Archipelago. In question, the businessman had to deal with law enforcement agents so that they would not close the establishment since the license was in request (unsigned). You will agree with me that it is not acceptable that in the middle of the bridge, with a greater influx of customers, an entrepreneur who has risked his savings and who creates employment, has to silently endure that the city council of the moment has not signed a piece of paper to be able to open with all the law. Even more so when the same businessman has already obtained a license from the same City Council to open identical stores on the same street?
The preliminary draft of the Sustainable Economy Law barely touches on the major problem of bureaucracy. It only proposes to reduce the deadlines for the creation of companies to a maximum period of five days when the share capital is between 30,000 and 3,100 euros and one day, when the capital is between 3,100 and 3,000 euros. Obviously, this measure will be ineffective while banks continue to turn off the tap to private companies (not public ones that issue debt non-stop), or while most graduates dream of being civil servants. As I said last week, our goal should be the proliferation of Bill Gates and not bureaucrats.
Bureaucracy includes not only uncomfortable procedures and headaches for the entrepreneur, but also a limitation on individual freedom in many aspects. Is it not possible for the autonomous or central government to decide when or at what time an establishment should close, how many holidays it can open, when and how promotions can be made and when it can apply discounts? Especially when the law already allows greater freedom in predominantly tourist areas? Why have such privileges? Why do residents in tourist areas have these privileges?
I think it is very good that security, health or environmental requirements (noise and light pollution) are established, but with certain objective limits and without room for political discretion. In my opinion, prior controls should be replaced by subsequent and more periodic controls, thus avoiding the delay in the start-up of projects and the necessary creation of employment.
