No one is left behind

March 16 2021 (10:38 WET)

It is true that we have not been prepared to face a pandemic like the one we are experiencing. Yes, mistakes have been made at certain times, surely due to the obligation to act quickly in the most critical moments in which the disease seemed to advance uncontrollably. We are aware that the economic consequences generated by COVID-19 are being very harsh. Many companies have had to close down and others are in a delicate moment, and thousands of workers and their families are being affected.

That is why, from the institutions governed by the Socialist Party, we have launched a battery of economic and social measures for the sectors most affected by the pandemic. The Government of Spain has allocated a package of 11,000 million euros for the commerce, hospitality and tourism sectors. In addition, the Canary Islands will receive a specific item for the damages suffered in the tourism sector.

On the other hand, the Government of the Canary Islands has provided another 84 million euros to companies and self-employed workers who are having the worst time right now. It will be divided into two lines to ensure that the aid reaches everyone and all the people who need it.

Finally, the Island Council, chaired by María Dolores Corujo, has done its bit to stand by the companies that are suffering the most on the island. This week the institutional budgets have been approved, which include a line of aid aimed at the self-employed and micro-enterprises for a value of six million euros, which could be expanded if necessary. Lanzarote has been one of the regions most punished by the pandemic, so we must rise to the occasion and work as hard as possible to get the island back on its feet economically. Of course, always respecting the epidemiological data and those who watch over our health.

 

It has been a year since this pandemic began and, although the health data has improved, the economic data remains worrying. Every blind that closes causes us enormous sadness. We must protect the most vulnerable and guarantee the continuity of all businesses. They expect a social response from us and the public institutions must work on it. They have already been launched by the different institutions. Social spending is more necessary than ever because no one, absolutely no one, can be left behind.

 

Cristina Duque Ramírez, Councilor for Economy and Finance for the PSOE in the Arrecife City Council

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