– Galicia is one of the Spanish regions with the greatest international projection, how is this important cultural promotion achieved?
The distinctly strategic nature of the economic policy implemented by the Galician government during the 1990s has been fundamental to increasing the international profile of the Galician economy. Analyzing the period from 1996 to 2002, we see that the internationalization of our economy increased by more than 22 percentage points during those years, that is, by more than three percentage points annually. Currently, we are the fifth largest Spanish autonomous community in terms of export potential, with exports equivalent to 25% of our GDP.
Regarding cultural promotion and its impact on economic growth, it is essential to remember that tourism is Galicia's leading private industry in terms of added value, and that the Galician Regional Government (Xunta de Galicia) has been making significant investments in initiatives aimed at promoting the region's culture and tourism, with substantial contributions to boosting the Holy Years of Compostela. The Galician budget for next year also includes significant allocations for promoting the Holy Year of Compostela 2004, and we are therefore confident that the positive figures of previous years will be even surpassed.
– Considering the Community's export strength, how does the Government support the internationalization initiatives of Galician companies?
Firstly, one of the tasks of the Galician Institute for Economic Promotion (IGAPE) is to boost the internationalization of our companies. In this regard, IGAPE has various specific programs both to encourage our companies to invest abroad and to attract foreign investment to Galicia.
Secondly, the Economic Revitalization Plan, designed by the Galician Regional Government (Xunta de Galicia) to mitigate the negative effects of the Prestige oil spill on the Galician economy, contains a range of attractive financial support measures for Galician businesses. The Plan includes a significant increase in financial aid for companies with investment and job creation plans, encompassing investment projects, entrepreneurial ventures, and competitiveness improvement projects.
Thirdly, one of the top priorities of the Galician budget for 2004, which is currently going through parliamentary procedures, is the development of the Galician economy. Although the Galician government has made significant efforts to project our image abroad, and these have yielded important results, we believe that much more needs to be done in this area.
For this reason, next year we plan to open business offices in the countries that will become part of the enlarged European Union, with the aim of minimizing the industrial and commercial impact of the enlargement on our companies and enabling them to discover new opportunities for cooperation. We also want to provide all interested businesspeople with information on the products that emerging and developed countries import, so they can assess where they can be competitive and take advantage of business opportunities. Thirdly, we want to decisively support the expansion of our companies abroad, with the aim of increasing their proximity to target markets.
– In conclusion, where is the socio-economic development of Galicia headed?
The development that our Autonomous Community is experiencing will lead it to become a modern and competitive region, with sufficient capacity to overcome the challenges that arise in the national and international arena.
For this reason, the objectives we have set for ourselves all these years remain the same. I am talking about achieving growth levels that enable a genuine convergence with the Spanish and European economies, increasing the pace of job creation, improving social welfare, and promoting the information society and research, development, and innovation policies.
Finally, I want to point out that we Galicians must be aware that we are experiencing a golden age in this respect, since the Economic Revitalization Plan drawn up by the Xunta de Galicia and the Galicia Plan drawn up by the Central Government offer us great opportunities to finally take off. I'm referring to the new highways and motorways that will connect the entire Galician territory, the high-speed train that will link Galicia with Madrid in less than three hours, and all the incentives available to us to increase private productive capital, with support for business competitiveness and investments in human and technological capital.
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