The Government responds to Brussels that it has already helped the tourism sector with endorsements from the ICO and ERTE, especially

The Government has come up against the affirmation of the European Commission about the lack of specific plans for the tourism sector in Spain, ensuring that it has already provided support through, above all, the general guarantees of the Official Credit Institute and the ERTE.

According to an extensive compilation statement from the Ministry of Industry directed by

.

"More than 25,000 million euros has been made available by the Government to the national tourism sector since the pandemic broke out with the aim of cushioning the economic and social damage caused by the virus," From this figure, according to the statement itself, more 80% corresponds to the general measures taken by the Executive against the coronavirus through the guarantees of the ICO (15,500 million for companies in the tourism sector when including the financing triggered by the previous fall of Thomas Cook) and the ERTE and provision to the self-employed (4,500 million).

This set of aid taken before the summer catastrophe is being considered insufficient by the associations of the sector that demand specific plans with public aid

According to the European Commission, the Spanish government has not even come up with specific plans for the sector after six months of the pandemic have already passed and a dozen countries have requested and obtained permission in Brussels to implement them for the tourism and transport sector .

According to a letter from the Vice President of the European Commission responsible for Competition, Margrethe Vestager published this Thursday by EL MUNDO:

. This is a parliamentary response from Vestager to the MEP for Citizens and former Balearic president,

, who describes the government action as" shameful ".

The Danish commissioner emphasizes that she analyzes "as a priority" any plan that is presented to her in the face of the ravages of the pandemic.

Maroto underlines in the statement that most of the general aid taken "was approved by Brussels within the Shock Plan to alleviate the effects of COVID."

"In addition, Spain has been able to implement specific plans that do not require permission from Brussels, such as tourism sustainability plans, aid for digitization (smart destinations) or the State Financial Fund for Tourist Competitiveness."

THE ICO AND THE ERTE

Maroto replies that 15% of ICO guarantees have been focused on the sector.

"Until last September 15, it had injected more than 15,000 million euros, specifically 15,173 million, among 115,033 companies in the tourism, leisure and culture sector.

since which doubles the second on the list, construction and infrastructure. "

To this figure "are added another 400 million euros from the COVID / Thomas Cook line, already closed and 100% executed. Hotels, restaurants, passenger air transport companies and travel agencies are among its main beneficiaries. That is to say , this Government has provided financing to the tourism sector for an amount of 15,500 million euros ".

As for "

. In May, ERTE workers in the tourism sector exceeded one million people, specifically 1,055,927. Of Of the 812,438 employees who remained under ERTE at the end of August, 40% belong to the tourism sector, specifically 325,578 people ".

The Ministry adds that "the extraordinary benefit for cessation of activity had benefited 420,945 entrepreneurs until July, at a cost of 1,020 million euros."

Another general measure that also affects the sector, according to Maroto, is the moratorium on mortgage debt

.

"According to the Bank of Spain, 20,086 hoteliers had taken advantage of the measure until last July 31. The approximate estimated costs of this measure were 731 million euros," he says.

Maroto also includes the plan reviled by the sector for basically consisting of credits

.

It is about the Impulse Plan for the tourism sector presented on June 18 by the President of the Government,

and which is "a set of 28 measures with an endowment of 4,262 million euros to regain confidence in Spain as a safe destination, improve its competitiveness, reactivate the sector, reinforce the tourism knowledge and intelligence model and deploy marketing and promotion actions ".

For her part, the Minister of Labor, Yolanda Díaz,

.

It was "a little section" included in the program proposed by Spain to go to the Sure European fund on tourism, but it guaranteed that it will be covered with the training plan for 70,000 workers that the Government is finalizing.

Maroto assures that it is already being launched at a cost of 106 million euros.

The statement by the European Commissioner has provoked political reactions.

The Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Community of Madrid,

, criticized this Thursday that Spain has not asked the EU for any specific plan to aid tourism, something that she considered worrying because this sector "continues to be the main industry in this country ", according to Servimedia.

Also the parliamentary economic spokesperson of the PP,

, according to Europa Press.

She has criticized that the central government "leaves again by the gutter" tourism by not having requested specific European aid for the sector as a dozen countries have done.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

• European Comission

• Thomas cook

• Yolanda Diaz

• Reyes Maroto

• Pedro Sanchez

• PP

• Citizens

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