Dear members,
A week ago, The Sepia Fair was held in the port of Alcudia. It was an excellent opportunity for us entrepreneurs of the sea to exhibit our products and to make our services known to the public. Another strong initiative for the yachting business will be the Portals Nautical Weekend, from 26th to 28th of May. In another vein, a few days ago the Board of the National Association of Marine Enterprises (ANEN) was re-elected and AENB continues as a part of it. During the same meeting a report on the Economic Impact of Recreational Boating in Spain was presented. The figures clearly indicate the importance of the sector and what it could contribute to the spanish GDP as well as employment if the currently devastating fiscal situation was equal to that of other sectors and our neighboring countries.
The Fair of the Sepia was a resounding success judging by the number of exhibitors and visitors. From AENB we supported the event from the outset and worked with the City Hall to publicize the event as widely as possible. It was a great opportunity for entrepreneurs to present their products and services for an affordable price. We believe that the Fair is an example of what can be achieved when the public and the private sector work in harmony for a mutual benefit. Another initiative that comes from the business community is the Portals Nautical Weekend. It is great example of a nautical event: a platform created exclusively for exhibitors to do their business. The costs to participants are directly related to actual costs, which makes the event very attractive economically. The accounts are open to scrutiny at the weekly meetings of the participants. At the AENB we offer our full support to this initiative and encourage people to participate in one way or another.
A few weeks ago ANEN, which AENB is a member of, held their Annual General Meeting. During the meeting, ANEN again put their trust in the sitting Board, in which AENB plays an active role. This will allow us to continue working on in Madrid, and to highlight our problems, our claims and our proposals at the very highest level. The Balearic Islands are one of the most important communities of the domestic marine sector and as such, must be considered and heard.
During the same meeting ANEN presented the report on the Economic Impact of Recreational Boating in Spain, in which also AENB collaborated. Special attention is given to large yachts and, especially, to the average income generated by these vessels and their capacity to generate employment, and which by their special characteristics and distribution of costs have a remarkable direct effect on the economy. One of the facts that attracts the most attention is the problematic situation the Spanish fiscal policies create for the sector, super yachts specifically. The report explains that of a total of 1,189 yachts belonging to MYBA 767 are based in the Mediterranean in the summer. Their spending is not trivial: the average spending of a yacht of 30 to 40 meters in length is more than 1 million euros per year (including crew, repair, maintenance, docking ...). This figure obviously increases the bigger the yacht is. How much income are we failing to gain because of counterproductive legislation? The taxes that are barriers preventing us from being visited by these yachts could be collected many times over in other ways: in the VAT on the services that they pay for, other fees, moorings, etc.. Not to mention the jobs that would be created.
Lawmakers should listen to the marine industry for the benefit of all. Not only when it comes to the large yachts. We have one of the most beautiful environments to practise sailing, a mild climate all year round and a good business network, well trained and experienced. But it is of little use if the marine industry in general suffers from legislation, bureaucracy and taxation that keep it from developing fully and put us at a disadvantage compared to our competitors. That is why we ask the relevant authorities again, for the benefit of all, to listen to reason and to conform to European normality.
No comments:
Post a Comment