The industry has a high driving role and promotes the quality of life, makes a very important contribution in terms of productivity and confers more stability in the face of contingencies. The industry involves exports and guarantees the supply of products in times of crisis.
In Catalonia, the industry has historically been characterized by having a strong family component. This is a differential fact. The family business, especially in the industrial field, is rooted in the territory that generates a feeling of community that is important for the structuring not only economic, but also social and generational of the country.
Our economic development has always been linked to the leadership of great businessmen and women who promoted businesses that have been passed down from generation to generation, creating wealth, good jobs, dynamism and resilience. At Pimec we are clear that guaranteeing and promoting generational renewal and the survival of the family business must be a priority for every government.
The industrial sector has 35,205 companies, employs 446,022 people, and represents 18.1% of GDP. They are not minor data. Now, if we look back, we will see how the weight of the industry has been decreasing since the beginning of the 21st century; specifically, in the year 2000 it represented 26.9% of the Catalan economy. If we translate this decrease into the number of companies and workers, it means that 13,000 industries in Catalonia have closed and we have lost 250,000 jobs. Therefore, we are currently experiencing a worrying decline and this should put us on alert.
The signing of the National Pact for Industry 2022-25, the result of dialogue, consensus and concertation of the social agents, is an important programmatic agreement, through which the Government will invest 3,270 million that should help transform the industrial model in Catalonia and promote a more digitized, innovative, sustainable industry that generates quality employment.
But this is not enough. We must introduce measures regarding tax benefits in I D i and review the wealth tax at the same time as the inheritance and gift tax. Investment must be encouraged with real incentives to favor Catalan industry and to guarantee the continuity of family businesses in this country.
The ultimate goal is to achieve greater resilience and competitiveness through innovation and technology. Missing out on this opportunity to turn the situation around before it is not too late could put the future of the industry in Catalonia at risk, and aggravate a trend with devastating consequences such as the sale of businesses to foreign investment funds. We are in time to avoid it, because the Catalan industry is not for sale!
