The president of the Cabildo of La Gomera participated in the opening of the I Regional Congress on the Demographic Challenge held in Gáldar
He claimed the need to legislate, plan with a vision for the future, apply a specific tax reform for the Green Islands and strengthen cooperation between administrations.
The president of the Cabildo of La Gomera, Casimiro Curbelo, stressed this Thursday, after his participation in the opening of the I Regional Congress on the Demographic Challenge of the Canary Islands, that the Archipelago already has an accurate diagnosis of its population situation and that now the urgent thing is to implement effective measures. "The diagnoses have been made quite accurately. What we have to do now is act, because the Canary Islands deserve extraordinary attention. The demographic challenge is one of the most important that lies ahead of us," he said.
Curbelo insisted that the demographic challenge must be addressed as a dynamic of four interrelated elements: territory, population, economy and society, and that the success of any measure will be measured by its impact on the quality of life of citizens. “If we want to live in reasonable quality conditions and protect our natural environment and our biodiversity, we must establish limits on demographic, tourist and infrastructural growth,” he stated.
The also president of the Demographic Challenge Study Commission once again insisted on the four priority axes of action: legislate, plan, reform taxation in the Green Islands and strengthen institutional cooperation. He defended the approval of a residence law and specific regulations to boost rural economies, as well as the need to limit the purchase of housing by foreigners. “Some measures have an economic cost, but others depend only on the political will to modify regulations and approve new laws,” he warned.
In the fiscal field, he once again highlighted the need for differentiated measures for La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro, islands that require specific incentives to boost economic activity, create employment and prevent population flight. “If these islands do not have their own tax system, there will not be equal opportunities for their people,” he remarked.
Curbelo also warned about the population pressure that the Canary Islands endure, with a growth that exceeds 25,000 new inhabitants each year, which strains the health, education and welfare systems. "If we do not take measures now, there will come a time when reality overwhelms us. We cannot continue postponing decisions on issues such as housing, administrative simplification or regional financing," he said.
The island president concluded by calling for political courage and institutional coordination to face this challenge. "This congress must serve to produce firm commitments. Because if we do not act now, future generations will have difficulties living in their own land," he stressed.
