The City Council of Puerto del Rosario reinforces its commitment to competitiveness and modernization of the only dock of state interest on the island of Fuerteventura, considered a key infrastructure for the island’s economy and employment generation.
Priority actions include the expansion of berthing structures, the electrification of docks to reduce noise and environmental impact, and the provision of permanent personnel at the phytosanitary inspection post. These measures seek to resolve historical deficiencies that limit the import and export of goods.
The mayor, David de Vera, emphasizes that “our port is a strategic piece for the island. We cannot allow that the lack of means or poorly oriented decisions slow down the development of the companies and increase the costs for the self-employed, traders and transporters”.
In recent months, the municipal corporation has coordinated meetings with the president of the Cabildo of Fuerteventura, representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and businessmen affected to move to the Port Authority and the Ministry of Agriculture the urgent need to fill the positions of phytosanitary inspectors in a stable manner.
Currently, this shortage forces many companies to divert goods to nearby ports such as Arrecife or Las Palmas, which is a logistical cost overrun that directly affects the competitiveness of the economy of Majorca.
De Vera stresses that “the double insularity can no longer be an excuse to accept the lack of basic services in our port. We demand that Fuerteventura be treated with equal conditions and that the presence of the necessary personnel for inspections and customs procedures be guaranteed”.
Another key aspect is the need to unblock the situation of the current stevedoring majorera, whose extension and management model are generating capacity restrictions and slowdown of operations. “We want a dock open to free competition among shipping companies, which attracts new routes and logistics operators. That is why we have asked the Port Authority for the complete dossier of the concession and we are holding meetings with shipping companies interested in operating from Puerto del Rosario,” explains the mayor.
The Consistory recalls that projects have already been launched to modernize the dock with investments of nearly 40 million euros, aimed at expanding the berths and the installation of OPS (port power supply systems) that will reduce noise and emissions during docking and undocking maneuvers.
“We cannot let this strategic infrastructure be a brake. We have the opportunity to transform our port into a logistic reference, more efficient, respectful with the environment and aligned with the real demands of the business fabric”, says De Vera.
The mayor stresses the importance of the new strategic plan of the port is built hand in hand with the economic sectors of Fuerteventura: “Only then we can respond to the needs of the future, attract investment and ensure that our port is the engine of progress for the entire island,” he concludes.
