“The next state government of Yucatan should emphasize the development of productive infrastructure, take measures to reduce the level of indebtedness and improve the level of income of the population, improve the educational supply and attract investment in the health sector”, said the PAN candidate to the governorship of the state, Mauricio Vila Dosal.
“Yucatan has a competitive advantage over any other place in the country in terms of safety and quality of life. However, there is a need to improve infrastructure and risks due to indebtedness, which must also be addressed, as well as improving the level of people’s income, the offer of education and investment in the health sector,” he explained.
He recognized that in Yucatán the current infrastructure is sufficient, but it does not have the capacity to be more developed.
Vila Dosal said that large companies are being installed in the state, such as Cervecería Yucateca of Grupo Modelo, with an investment of 8.5 billion pesos, but the problem is that the port of Progreso does not have a greater draft, “the incoming ships are not big enough and the trasportation costs are complicated ” Vila said.
“One of the big challenges to be faced by the next administration”, he specified, “is the logistics process to move the products manufactured in Yucatan, as productive investments imply the growth of transport infrastructure on roads and ports”.
During 2017, the port of Progreso contributed with 1.8% of the national cargo movement, of 307.6 million tons, which meant an annual increase of 5.7%; however, the terminal is still far from Dos Bocas (Tabasco), Manzanillo (Colima), Lázaro Cárdenas (Michoacán) and Coatzacoalcos (Veracruz), with more than 9.0% participation each, according to the Ministry of Communications and Transportation.
Another issue that inhibits the development of productive infrastructure is the energy transition. He stressed that currently the state suffers from shortage of natural gas, therefore, energy supply cannot be guaranteed for large industrial companies.
The official said that Yucatan exhibits complications in health matters, such as low investment and shortage of specialists and academic institutions in the municipalities.
“Having 106 municipalities, there are obviously no universities, so the student who finishes high school needs to momve to a large city to go to college, and that means an extra cost of transportation and lodging. There is also a lack of inner state mobility infrastructure” he said.
In job generation, he stressed, Yucatan shows strength, with an annual average of 14,000 new positions in the last three years, although the level of income is low.
According to information from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography, of the million employed in the state at the end of 2017, 49.6% earned up to two minimum wages and 33.3% were placed in a higher level of salary and education.
Vila Dosal insisted that his financial work as mayor of Mérida can be highlighted in the state government. The indicators that show stable finances in Mérida display transparency, and the municipality in one of the first in the country when it comes to financial results.
At the end of 2017, Yucatan’s total debt amounted to 4,154.5 million pesos, an annual increase of 51.7%, which was the second highest rate in the country; although in the Alerts System it is placed at a level of sustainable indebtedness.
Source: eleconomista.com.mx
