Alicante.

The president of the Generalitat, Carlos Mazón, has claimed investments from the General State Budgets for the province of Alicante, where he has assured that "they are much more profitable and obtain more return".

He stated this during the opening ceremony of the III Spanish Economic Forum of Alicante, organized by El Español, Universia and De Alicante, in which he highlighted the contribution of the province of Alicante to the "growth and opening ” of the Valencian Community, “necessary to be able to compete.”

During his speech, the president recalled that Alicante is the province that receives the least amount from the State, which has been placed at number 52 out of a total of 52 during the last two years, and has shown his fear that it will again be the last, for the third consecutive year, if the General State Budgets are extended.

Mazón, who thanked El Español for its contribution to putting Alicante "on the national map", in echoing his claims, referred to the Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández airport and the AVE Madrid - Alicante as an example of successful investments. In particular, he assured that the international airport achieved 15 million passengers just five years after it was launched, which is two thirds of its total capacity, which was planned to be achieved in 2050.

That is why he has demanded a rail connection for this airport, since he has pointed out that "it is the only international airport in Europe that does not yet have this connection", and in the same way he has advanced that "there is not much left to to start talking about a second track" for this infrastructure, with the aim of promoting new economic opportunities in Spain.

Mazón has insisted that every time the province of Alicante makes a claim "it is offering an extraordinary return to the gross domestic product", and has valued the contribution to economic growth from tourism.

He also recalled that in the first year in which the AVE Alicante-Madrid was launched, it became the "most profitable, busiest and most passengered line in Spain".

National water defense and economic measures

On the other hand, the president has claimed the necessary water for the province of Alicante, "to be able to continue being the pantry of Europe", and at the same time he has pointed out that the fight for water resources should be national level "to prevent the desert from entering Europe through Alicante and Murcia".

The head of the Council referred to the economic and social measures put in place during the first 98 days of his government, and in particular he highlighted the abolition of the Inheritance and Donations Tax for companies and families; the approval of the first important package of social deductions in the personal income tax, from which the most vulnerable people will benefit, and in particular the incomes that reach 32,000 euros a year; housing tax will be reduced for those who need it most and, above all, for all young people in the Valencian Community.

Likewise, he has referred to the tourism sector as a "fundamental" factor for the economy of Alicante and the Valencian Community, of which he has assured that it is "breaking records", as evidenced by the strong growth of international tourism this year . In this sense, he highlighted two new measures to enhance this, such as the elimination of the tourist tax and the commitment to tourism throughout the year, and he regretted that the Government's intervention in Imserso prices are harming the deseasonalization of tourism.

Freedom and promotion of the Valencian

During the event, Mazón also made a defense of freedom in language, in education and the promotion of the culture of effort and competitiveness, and he assured that his government will work to promote the Valencian and not by his imposition, as was done until now, because "the worst way to help the Valencian is to impose on him", he stated.

In the course of the event, the chancellor of the University of Alicante, Amparo Navarro, also spoke; the executive president and director of El Español, Pedro J. Ramírez, and the mayor of Alicante, Luis Barcala. The Minister of Education, José Antonio Rovira, and the Minister of Innovation, Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Nuria Montes, also attended.