Regular readers will be aware that the Mijas elections are taking part in May this year. To shed more light on what options are available for voters, we have asked all political parties involved in the Mijas elections to answer 5 questions for our readers, here are the answers from Partido Popular:
1. What is the main policy of your party for the upcoming election?
Switching on the job engine is our priority. People have lost confidence in our government in Mijas, Andalucía, and Spain in general, so foreigners prefer to invest somewhere else, and even the Spaniards are afraid. We will make people trust in our work, and the economy will again be creating positions for employees. The administration in general has to be pro-active, while it currently looks like a brick wall. Education is the base for the future. We believe that investing in education and creating the conditions for economic development, employment will be the consequence. Of course, our policy will be orientated towards paying people to create a job rather than paying people to stay at home waiting for the job to catch them.
Whilst investing in Education, we look towards solving the problems on a longer-term basis, the results of this will take longer to be appreciated, therefore, as an immediate step to help solve the employment crisis we are suffering, we intend to provide placement schemes, whereby the Employer gains through having physical and practical help and the employee gains in experience, through growth, development, and training.
2. Do you support the building of a business park in Mijas (Parque Empresarial de Mijas)? If yes, where should it be built and when?
Since the beginning, our attitude is well known. We want the PEM to be built where the technicians decided, in La Atalaya. You may know that those 232 entrepreneurs, tired of waiting for the Townhall to create an industrial area, and fed up with the problems of having their businesses hidden in the narrow streets in Las Lagunas, went to the Town Hall and offered 3 areas. The technicians of the Town Hall, together with those of the regional government, decided that La Atalaya was the best place, so they went ahead and bought it for about 6 million euros. Not only that, they were forced to do all the legal work and planning design, until one day in which someone from Sevilla said that they could not build there. What was the reason? Natural environment specially protected. Just a quick visit there will show you this is not a reason, but just an excuse.
3. What should be done to help local businesses during the crisis?
The previous answer shows how to help those 232 companies, but there are also many small businesses. There is not a unique decision, everything is related to them. For example, we need underground parking in many areas, but also a better public transport network. The train from Fuengirola to Marbella with stops in La Cala and Calahonda will be a great help. We need to improve Mijas by cleaning it up and the removal of all billboards will help encourage tourism to come to this area. Mijas village could be the crown of the Costa if the road running up to the town is ever finished and the public transport from Fuengirola is improved.
4. What should Mijas do to attract more tourists to the area?
Mijas is very big, and it is not the same to bring people to Mijas village compared to Las Lagunas or La Cala. But there are three keys to improve this:
- Communication. The train along the coast and the transport from Fuengirola to Mijas must improve. Tourism from big cruise-liners can also help.
- Attraction points: As well as the principal attractions such as the sun and our beaches, we have the Hippodrome, we have mountains and rural tourism, and we have 13 golf courses. We have to do more to sell these, we need to publicize what is on offer to our foreign visitors, ensure they are aware of interesting events and that they can get there easily.
- Service. We have to go a step beyond. There is a restaurant in Mijas that shows a group of Japanese people how to cook a paella, and later gives them a CD with the recording of that. Everybody can make paella, but this person is selling an experience, something unique which is what people look for. We need to make more cultural information available to our visitors, show them the wealth contained in our town, our history, in form of local events, ferias, and Tapas routes. Sharing our culture encouraging tourists to experience the richness of Mijas and giving them the desire to return and possibly consider future investment here on the Coast.
5. In your opinion, what should be done with the Hippodrome ground?
The concession granted some years ago to a company constituted the week before, is still in courts. This shows the way not to go. We would offer this internationally to the best company with a good background, and we will closely follow up all their action. This could be the attraction point of the Costa del Sol. We have more than 3.000 horses, but not all of them are in good condition. This ground of course can be used for other purposes (we all remember Elton John here, in Mijas !!!). The grounds could be used to offer local cuisine to tourists, having themed nights – a tour of Spain through gastronomy, offering a menu for people wanting to enjoy the races from the comfort of their seat, whilst taking in a race and enjoying their meal, for example, the options are endless. Mijas is big, but with the good general transport communication system we have in the area (airport, roads, the train from Málaga), we have the potential of welcoming several million people in the summer who could come if there are good enough attractions. We also have the benefit that we can enjoy summer in Mijas for many months per year !!!