The regional budgets for 2025 include an item of 250,000 euros to create the Investment Acceleration Unit (UAI) and another of 200,000 euros for a Administrative Simplification Unit. This was announced on Tuesday by the Minister of Economy, Finance and Innovation, Antoine Costa, during his appearance before the Finance and Budget Committee to explain the regional accounts of his Department for the next financial year.
The Investment Acceleration Unit, which already exists in Andalusiawill be created with the aim of facilitating private companies with investment projects in strategic sectors and its implementation was one of the electoral promises of the PP.
The project consists of creating a department that will streamline all procedures to develop investment projects considered strategic for the Balearic Islands.
The UAI will have a person, a project manager, who will take charge of the project and will be the sole contact throughout the process, knocking on the door from department to department, to take the necessary steps and guarantee the completion of the project. .
“It’s about rolling out the red carpet for investments in the Balearic Islands,” President Marga Prohens has repeatedly declared.
In Andalusia, the project accelerator unit is made up of professionals, civil servants with a brilliant background and linguistic knowledge. Most have experience in the private sector. The investment acceleration unit has involved the launch of around a hundred initiatives in Andalusia which promote a total of 200 projects and which together represent an investment of 13 billion euros and the generation of more than 50,000 jobs.
The Ministry of Economy, Finance and Innovation has a budget of 88.1 million euroswhich represents an increase of 12.3 million euros, or 16.3% more, compared to the previous year’s budget, reports Europa Press.
Among the main increases, according to Costa, are personnel costs, which increase from 24.5 to 27.6 million euros, largely due to the application of the court ruling of more than 100 million euros due to the freezing of civil servant salaries in 2020 and 2021.
The minister explained that from 2025, the General Directorate of European Funds will also become the Directorate of Strategic Projects and Administrative Simplification, which will be the one that will manage the two new units.
Likewise, he highlighted that at the end of this year the Government will publish the Strategic Investment Framework of the Balearic Islands (Meiib) 2030 and that, next year, 80,000 euros will be allocated to develop a plan for evaluation of the impact of investments made.
During his appearance, Costa highlighted among the main budget lines that the budget dedicated to public debt decreased by 6.2%. Thus, the increase in interest and repayable loans is offset by the drop in the amortization figure, resulting from the reduction of more than 450 million euros of debt in 2023-2024.
The main projects of the Economy and Finance
One of the projects that will be launched in 2025 will be the carrying out of opinion surveys in the Balearic Islands (EOIB), which, between its own budget and the Sustainable Tourism Tax (ITS), will represent an investment of one million euros. The surveys will be carried out among citizens of the Islands with the aim of know the opinion on the main current and structural issues such as housing, tourism or immigration.
In addition, a study will be carried out, with a budget of approximately 80,000 euros, to quantify a new limit of de minimis regulation that contributes to increasing the competitiveness of companies in the Balearic Islands compared to companies in the mainland territory.
As for the General Directorate of Treasury, Financial Policy and Heritage, the main line of action will be calls for help to SMEs with the interest and cost of the ISBA, SGR guarantee. As Costa explained, 10.5 million euros will be devoted to this file, of which five million will go to the new line of innovation, digitalization and sustainability.
On the other hand, the Balearic Tax Agency (ATIB), With a budget of 16.5 million euros, it will implement a new simplification measure thanks to which all taxes paid by receipts can be paid with the installments you want and for the amount you choose throughout. throughout the year.
In connection with Digital strategythe main projects are the digitalization plan (16 million euros), which provides, among other things, a new contracting platform and improvements to the electronic headquarters; and the cybersecurity plan (10 million euros).
On the other hand, the General Directorate of Innovation and Digital Transformation, with 12.5 million euros, will begin the first phase of the digital twin of the Balearic Islands which will allow monitoring and managing the state of the territory in the environmental field, emergencies or tourism, among others.
Nearly five million euros are also being dedicated to promoting a plan to reduce the pay gap, by training 22,465 citizens, mostly aged over 65, in basic digital skills free of charge.
The councilor highlighted the 3.5 million euros of the insularity factor which will be allocated to the new Ibiza Bit Center; as well as the investment of 2.1 million euros for the improvement of Parc Bit in Palma and Centro Bit in Ibiza. Fundació Bit will have a total budget of 22.7 million euros, 53 percent more than in 2024.
In 2025, IBDigital will have a budget of 14.5 million euros. Among the main projects, it is worth highlighting the continuation of the beach sensorization project in the Balearic Islands and the start of sensorization pilot projects.
