Miguel Sanz, President of the Chartered Community of Navarre: "Our main objective is to improve communications"

– What support does the Government offer to encourage exports and investment by companies in Navarre?

Our aid reaches up to 20% of the investment for SMEs and large companies in what we call the "assisted zone", and between 15% or 7,5%, depending on whether it is a small or medium-sized enterprise in the municipality of Pamplona.

Regarding job creation, a non-refundable grant of up to €3.000 may be obtained for each permanent job created or consolidated as a result of the investment project. The sum of both grants may not exceed 20% net of the investment amount for large companies and 30% net for medium-sized or small companies.

In terms of exports, we have an Internationalization Plan with which we try to promote and personally facilitate access to foreign trade for non-exporting Navarrese companies that meet the conditions and export potential, presenting all the internationalization programs and services to which they have access.

The program helps these companies take their first steps in exporting, helping them understand their export potential and the paths they could follow in their initial foreign trade activities. They also receive specific training, through seminars, to guide them through these initial export steps. The Plan had an initial target of 40 companies for 2003 and was implemented by in-house professionals from the Chamber of Commerce and the Government of Navarre.

– What are the main economic projects of the Government of Navarre in this legislature?

Navarre continues to pursue crucial infrastructure projects of all kinds that are vital to its future, generating immediate economic activity and creating jobs at rates close to 3%, even amidst international uncertainty. The Navarre Canal, a project that will guarantee the water supply to the entire region for decades, is already underway, with several phases of construction. The Pamplona-Logroño highway is also underway, and last October, construction began on the Pamplona-Jaca highway, which will complete our primary transport routes.

In this legislative term, we will face other major challenges such as the highway to France, the arrival of the AVE high-speed train, and, above all, the effective implementation of the Information Society. In cultural matters, the inaugurations of our Congress Palace and Auditorium, the "Baluarte," and the General Archive of Navarre, culminate the phase of providing first-rate cultural infrastructure to the cities and towns of Navarre. Now is the time to equip these ambitious centers with cultural activity.