This was stated yesterday by Junts spokesman Josep Rius: “What we want is that these companies that have their majority activity in Catalonia have their headquarters in Catalonia,” he said, adding that “what we propose is to encourage the return of these companies, so that they can return with tax benefits, and those that do not do so but have greater activity in Catalonia should be penalised”. In exchange for this demand, Puigdemont’s supporters are offering to vote in favour of the decrees that are going through the Congress of Deputies today.
Financial institutions such as CaixaBank and Sabadell were the first to move their registered offices (the former to Valencia and the latter to Alicante), followed by many others, including Ibex firms such as Naturgy, Abertis and Cellnex, along with other companies such as Colonial and Catalana Occidente. Since 2017, more than 8,700 companies based in Catalonia have packed their bags for other autonomous regions, mostly Madrid, but also the Valencian Community, Andalusia, Aragon and the Balearic Islands.
The message launched by Junts yesterday forced the PSOE to come forward, although it did so with great ambiguity so as not to snub Puigdemont’s party. Thus, it did not expressly reject the proposal for sanctions and although it admitted that it is analysing with the separatists how to encourage the return of companies to Catalonia (possibly with incentives?), this will be done respecting the Law on Capital Companies and guaranteeing “legal certainty”, said the socialist spokesman in Congress, Patxi López.
The president of Spanish businessmen has assured that “that would be force-fed regulation or communism” and that companies set up where they want and invest where they want”.
