Our own economic model

There is some encouraging data published this week in regards to the Catalan economy. It seems there are prospects for growth and that this positive trend will continue into the coming year. It would be completely irresponsible and sarcastic to claim, as has done Mariano Rajoy, that the crisis is behind us, especially when there are still many people, mostly young people, who are suffering because they cannot find work. But to say that if the trend continues, slowly we will see confidence return and growth in employment, is something else.

It is just as important to be able to identify what will power the economy as it is to know the figures, and now that fortunately the housing boom is over, with the construction industry still showing net losses, it is in the area of consumer consumption where encouraging signs are being seen. Obviously, with companies still not investing, there is little hope of increasing production. As well, the export sector is showing a deficit with imports now outweighing exports. But Catalonia still sells well abroad and everything at present points to a recovery there.

Our country will come out of this crisis stronger if it can develop a more modern and productive economic model. The evolution of Catalonia's economy defies the nay-sayers, those with self interests who claim that our economy is in decline due to a democratic process they see as an idiocy and suicide. On the contrary, when Catalonia is able to control of its own taxes the country will be able to develop its own economic model