Large business managers ask the Catalan President for further simplification of administrative procedures

Barcelona (ACN).- The financial and business powers of Catalonia met on Friday morning with the President of the Catalan Government, Artur Mas. 200 presidents and directors of the main companies in Catalonia asked the Catalan President for greater reforms to simplify the current administrative procedures. They consider it necessary to speed up the process of creating a new company. In addition, they asked for an improvement in vocational training, with education being more specialised and practical. Last but not least, they stressed the importance of internationalising the Catalan economy, which means helping Catalan companies expand into new markets and make the process easier. Artur Mas also had something to ask the leaders of the Catalan financial and economic world. He asked them “to take over” from the public sector and help get the Catalan economy out of the current recession, because “public powers are exhausted”. Mas and the most relevant businessmen agreed on the meeting’s “good atmosphere”.

All the business leaders said they agree in general terms with the plans put in place by the Catalan Government. They are also determined to reduce the public deficit. However, they asked for a greater effort to explain those measures to the affected sectors. In addition, many of them said they support negotiating a new economic agreement with the Spanish Government to finance the Catalan Government and the infrastructures and services provided in Catalonia.

The Catalan President Artur Mas is committed to simplifying the administrative process of creating new enterprises. Josep Oliu, the President of Banc Sabadell, outlined Mas’ belief in “not putting obstacles” in the way of entrepreneurs and his desire to push for a radical simplification of the administrative procedures for creating new companies. This is in fact one of the historical claims from the business sector.

The President of the transport and telecommunications service provider Abertis, Salvador Alemany, stated that Mas had asked them to “push the country” out of the economic crisis. Alemany explained how imagination and innovation can be two useful tools to do so. At the moment when public investment cannot play a leading role in the Catalan economy, the private sector must do so, he said. 

The Vice President of the car manufacturer Seat, Ramón Paredes, praised in very positive terms the Catalan Government’s promise to improve vocational training. Paredes said that the effort to decrease school failure rates and the effort to strengthen vocational training is good news. He also welcomed the Government’s wish to assist Catalan companies going abroad, at a time when exports are playing a key role.