Aragonès reaches out to Sánchez to solve the investment deficit

The president of the Government, Pedro Sanchezand the ‘president’ of the Generalitat, Pere Aragoneshave shared a table and act this Monday at the awards gala Pimec, in Barcelona. At the expense of the formal meeting between presidents to which they have been summoned in the coming weeks, the leader of the Catalan administration, in front of an auditorium full of businessmen, has extended his hand to his counterpart to solve the deficit of State investments in Catalonia. “Beyond the political differences, we have to resolve it”, Aragonès challenged him from the gallery; glove that Sánchez has not subsequently picked up explicitly, although he has insisted on betting on dialogue “no matter how high and hard the crises are”.

The public has applauded the demand of the ‘president’ of the Generalitat, aware of the ballast for the competitiveness of its companies that in Catalonia last year a third of the planned investment was executed and in Madrid three times more than the budgeted. “It is essential to fulfill the commitments, […] Chronic underfinancing and chronic lack of execution are added to the chronic deficit,” Aragonès urged, calling for the creation of some kind of “guarantee mechanism” between administrations.

The ‘president’ has focused on the economy during his speech and the Prime Minister has opted to sidestep monetary issues and focus on the war in Ukraine. “What we have to strengthen now is Europe,” said the leader of the Executive, who agreed with his Catalan counterpart on the need for an income pact to share the costs of escalating inflation between companies and workers. Pact that, once the salary agreement between employers and unions has failed this year, will be limited to the measures that the Government has approved and extended in its last Council of Ministers, according to Sánchez. The president has reiterated his commitment to “dialogue”, without further details, and his priority for “major agreements” via social dialogue and “public-private collaboration” to grow the economy.

The president of the employers’ association of Catalan SMEs, Antoni Canete, has taken advantage of the presence of the leader of the Executive to ask him for a seat at the table where reforms such as labor or pensions are negotiated. “We will not close the Transition until we SMEs have their own voice at the tables of social dialogue”, he declared. A claim to measure yourself with the CEOE that at the moment it has not been attended to by the Government and that it has taken the case to the National High Court, where it is pending.

Awards for 12 SMEs

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The Pimec awards gala has awarded 12 freelancers and SMEs for their outstanding contribution during 2022. The writer Empar Moliner recognition has been given to self-employed individuals; the Catalan Federation of Grooming and Beauty, in the category of commerce; the Association of Audiovisual Professionals of Catalonia, in the category of business association; to the group of residences La Vostra Llar Residential and the industry Papermatichave shared the prize in the ‘values’ category.

The employers’ association of small and medium-sized companies has also awarded Bemyswim, the sustainable swimwear marketing company, in the ‘second chance’ category; the group specialized in technology 4.0 Ingroup, in the ‘Youth’ category; the gym Triops has received the award for business language quality and textile leave that of the Catalan business projection; the kombucha brew maker Mun Ferments, in the microenterprise category; to the manufacturer of biodegradable pallets sips, in the small business category; the spa designer Iberspain the medium-sized company category.