The government delegate in Galicia, Pedro Blanco, was in charge of closing today the I International Consumer Congress, organized by the Union of Consumers of Galicia, in which he highlighted the “firm and committed” response by the Government to alleviate the economic situation of families, with measures such as the reduction of taxes on food, electricity and gas bills, the limit to rising rents, discounts on fuels and transport or the aid of 200 euros for incomes below 27,000 euros, among others.
During his speech, in which he congratulated the entity for the organization of the congress and especially its president, María del Rocío Arnoso Moure, the delegate recognized that the Government is responsible for defending the interests of consumers and is doing so, as evidenced by the new Law on Customer Care Services, with which the rights of consumers were extended and the deadlines for consultation and resolution of incidents were improved, or with the Code of Good Banking Practices negotiated with the financial sector to mitigate the impact of the increase in interest rates on mortgages.
All these measures, he said, are complemented by other initiatives such as raising the minimum wage or updating pensions under the CPI, which also contribute to reducing the loss of purchasing power of families. “The government is aware of the difficulties of the citizens to reach the end of the month and face the high cost of living, despite the fact that Spain is the great economy of the European Union that is growing the most and that has one of the lowest inflations in Europe,” he said.
“All these harsh realities and many others demand a firm and committed response from the public authorities. What we have to do is strengthen the welfare state, expand the social protection network, and that is the way we are going to continue,” said Pedro Blanco.
Primary sector support
The delegate took advantage of his participation in the congress, in which value was placed and discussed the consumption of sea products, food of differentiated quality and sustainability, to remember that the Government of Spain is on the side of companies. “A government that is mobilizing 6.4 billion euros between the PERTE and various aid to the primary sector,” he said.
In this line, he highlighted the important commitment of the Government of Spain to promote organic production with the objective of reaching, in the medium and long term, a 25% area of organic farming (currently around 10%). Also to improve training and information along the food chain to facilitate the conversion towards this system of producing food, so that the offer is extended and reaches more consuming people.
In this sense, he highlighted initiatives such as the Spanish Food campaign of the Ministry of Agriculture, which extols the extraordinary wealth we have. “The richest country in the world.” “A loyal consumer is one who knows the characteristics of products well and knows how to appreciate them; and a trained consumer is a socially and environmentally responsible consumer. Achieving that training and that fidelity is a collective responsibility to which the government contributes,” concluded the delegate.