Rosaura Jiménez, president of the Girona branch of the Col·legi d’Economistes de Catalunya, highlighted the urgent need to reduce administrative burdens, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Jiménez warns that excessive procedures often stall initiatives, causing many projects to get lost in "infinite loops," thus limiting their global competitiveness.
“"Bureaucracy is a brake and we must solve it."
Beyond administrative hurdles, Jiménez confirms that the Girona economy is currently growing but stresses that the main structural challenge remains productivity, an issue shared across Catalonia, Spain, and much of Europe. She advocates for innovation and investment in R&D&I, noting that this approach has already begun to narrow the productivity gap with the Eurozone since 2014.
Regarding the tourism sector, Jiménez argues for a shift towards a higher value-added model (cultural, gastronomic, sports, and nature-based) to improve productivity. She also emphasizes the difficulty in finding and retaining qualified workers, calling for strengthened vocational training. Finally, she identifies the New Trueta Health Campus as "the most important economic and social commitment in the province," involving an investment exceeding 700 million euros.
