The leader of the Coalición Canaria in the south of Gran Canaria, Alejandro Marichal, has asked his party and the PSOE to include a point in the reform of the REF in Madrid: that obsolete shopping centres can be bought with the RIC for the purpose of rehabilitating them, as well as making it clear that the money allocated to reforms of normal homes can be used for holiday rentals. Specifically, the text that will be debated in the Congress of Deputies does not refer to shopping centres but to "commercial areas in the process of rehabilitation".
The renovation of shopping centres that are outside the commercial circuit is one of the demands of the business community in order to be able to invest in areas such as Playa del Inglés or San Agustín that have become outdated. There are areas that can be quickly refurbished, but if there is no commitment from the community members to sell, nothing can be done. The arrival of the RIC would mean fresh money to generate sales in a more agile way. The first deputy mayor, Alejandro Marichal, assures that the Department of Urban Planning “continues to advance in its commitment to the renovation and modernisation of Playa del Inglés, betting on infrastructures that enhance the attractiveness of the area as one of the main tourist destinations in the Canary Islands. With the granting of this licence, the council reaffirms its commitment to the sustainable development and economic diversification of the municipality”.
In 2024, the Department of Urban Planning of the San Bartolomé de Tirajana City Council has granted the major works license for the construction of a new shopping center next to Avenida de Gáldar, on the site where Viajes Insular was formerly located. This project, promoted by Isla del Paraíso 200 SL “represents a fundamental step for local economic growth, “the new commercial area covers more than 60.000 m², involves an investment of 48 million euros and will have an execution period of two and a half years”, explains the Councilor for Urban Planning, Davinia Ramírez.
In terms of housing, the Socialist Parliamentary Group has presented, together with the Canary Islands Coalition, a Bill to modify the Economic and Fiscal Regime of the Canary Islands, so as to allow the use of funds from the Reserve for Investments in the Canary Islands (RIC) for the construction, acquisition and rehabilitation of homes intended for rent as a habitual residence.
“In the Canary Islands, difficulties in accessing housing are a very serious problem. We are a restricted territory, with a large proportion of protected land and strong tourist pressure. In addition, new modalities, such as holiday rentals, have been implemented with great intensity, greatly influencing the price of residential housing,” explained Alicia Álvarez, deputy spokesperson for the Socialist Parliamentary Group in the Finance and Civil Service Commission and member of parliament for Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Alicia Álvarez frames this initiative within the housing plan announced by the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, on December 13: “All these measures that the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has announced will undoubtedly have a clear effect in the Canary Islands, because they tackle the different situations and problems that affect the accessibility of housing on the islands,” she said.
“However, the Canary Islands also need specific and concrete actions,” he added. For this reason, “the Socialist Parliamentary Group, together with the Canary Islands Coalition, has registered a Bill to modify the Law of the Economic and Fiscal Regime of the Canary Islands (REF), so that the Reserve for Investments in the Canary Islands (RIC) - which is the most powerful fiscal incentive of the Economic and Fiscal Regime - can be used in the acquisition, rehabilitation and construction of homes to be used as a habitual residence.” “It is a measure that seeks to mobilise the Canarian economy and, at the same time, facilitate the access of the Canarians to affordable housing,” stressed Álvarez.
