The Canarian vice president and Minister of Finance, Román Rodríguez, announced earlier today that the Governement is working on a direct aid package for companies related to the hotel industry, hospitality, small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) and the self-employed, which include tax breaks.
He said that the measures are intended to alleviate the economic damage that the pandemic is causing SMEs and the self-employed in the Archipelago, and will come into force during this first quarter of the year combining different government departments that are working together on the new line of aid.
The Treasury is looking for the formula to generate the necessary financing, which "in the last resort, will be charged to the debt of the Autonomous Community, since the Budgets in force are designed to defray essential public services, investments and ordinary expenses," according to the vice president.
Rodríguez has demanded a greater commitment from the State in direct aid "beyond the application of ERTE and aid to liquidity, which have been good measures so far."
He specified that the Canary Islands Government, to the extent of its own possibilities, will activate direct aid to "lend a hand in the fixed costs of companies” and “those of a fiscal nature to allow the deferral of tax debt payments and of ordinary taxes.”
The autonomous Executive, said Rodríguez, will continue with the measures it has been taking since the beginning of the pandemic, and which have included the reinforcement of essential public services, on the one hand, and aid and injection of liquidity to the economy with fiscal relief measures, on the other.
He supported this by adding that last year the regional Government has already activated direct aid for the agricultural sector, for maritime transport sector, and for regular passenger transport, including taxis, as a couple of examples.
Regarding the ERTE, an announcement of the extension until May 31st is expected shortly, with an automatic renewal and extra savings on social security for vulnerable business sectors being expanded.
