Vivas places online gambling at the forefront of Ceuta's digital industry before the Chambers of Commerce
The president includes it among the results of the "green, blue and smart" economic model that the city wants to recover
The president of the Autonomous City of Ceuta, Juan Vivas, highlighted on October 26 "the growth of the digital industry, especially the online gambling sector", among the results that Ceuta was achieving before the events of July 30. He did so at the General Assembly of the Chambers of Commerce held in the city, before the president of the Chamber of Spain, José Luis Bonet, and representatives of the chambers from all over Spain.
According to the City's note, Vivas recalled that Ceuta was making progress in the transformation of its economic model towards a "green, blue and smart" structure, less dependent on cross-border trade and focused on strengthening its links with Spain and Europe. In addition to online gambling, he cited the records of Social Security affiliation, the evolution of the port, the advance of tourism and new opportunities for trade. Among the strategic projects he mentioned the data center, the computer for SMEs, the incubator of innovative companies and artificial intelligence initiatives, some in collaboration with the University of Granada.
The mention represents an institutional support for the online gambling companies installed in Ceuta. The president presents the sector as the most prominent part of the digital industry, and that industry as one of the pillars of the economic diversification that the city government wants to resume. Vivas' words come a few days after the companies in the sector met to show their unity.
The president maintained that the events of July 30, which he described as an invasion, are affecting economic activity "significantly". According to the data he presented, the accumulated losses already represent 5% of Ceuta's annual gross domestic product , with an impact of around one million euros a day. He also warned that local companies are consuming their reserves to maintain their activity.
To regain economic confidence, Vivas proposed several measures:
He also proposed promoting joint projects between institutions and companies to expand investment opportunities and consolidate new economic activities. He also mentioned the agreement that is expected to be promoted between the Chamber of Commerce of Ceuta and the rest of the Spanish chambers.
"We are going to move forward and we are going to do it together and united," said Vivas, who summed up the situation in the city with one sentence: "Ceuta is wounded, but it is standing."
