The President of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, and Vice President Román Rodríguez, will present a package of aid measures at a press conference today that they are going to implement in support of the sectors most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to government sources the aid packages will be "very important", and have been described as vastly superior to those announced in other regions of Spain, consisting of direct aid to bars, cafes, restaurants and the tourism sector, as well as deferral of tax debts and payment of taxes.
Yesterday, in an appearance before the media, the Government spokesman, Julio Pérez, said that the scale of aid has been finalized and confirmed that the priority is that they are "easy to manage and quick to access”, especially as the main objective is to reach small companies that are having the most difficulties withstanding the crisis, adding: "We want them to be effective."
On Tuesday, Rodríguez specified that the direct aid being announced for the tourism sector, SMEs and the self-employed will be orientated towards “the fixed costs that companies have to bear, which are an unacceptable burden for many of them at a time of slowdown or total suspension of activity”.
After meeting with a representation of the hotel management association Ashotel, the Minister of Finance commented that they “understand the delicate situation that many companies are going through; fundamentally, those hit by the crisis or by containment measures to prevent the spread of the pandemic.” Rodríguez also said that the measures will include fiscal modifications to alleviate the obligations of taxpayers, such as deferring the payment of taxes and tax debts.
In relation to direct aid, the autonomous Executive decided to define them after verifying in recent weeks that the central government "has fallen short in its support for the tourism sector”, one of the most affected by the crisis and with the greatest impact on the GDP of Spain and, particularly, of the Canary Islands.
The vice president recalled that "The Canary Islands have dedicated resources to combat the pandemic above other autonomous communities."
