The Minister of Employment, Business, and Self-Employed Work, Rocío Blanco, highlighted this 5th of February, when the first Day of Commerce in Andalusia is commemorated, that it is a strategic sector representing more than 13% of the gross value added of the autonomous community and a business volume close to 125 billion euros.
Rocío Blanco participated in the celebration of the Day of Commerce in Andalusia at the market in the Triana neighborhood of Seville where, in an event hosted by journalist Julio Muñoz (Rancio), she was accompanied by representatives and professionals from the sector, as well as members of the Andalusian Commerce Council, an advisory body made up of economic and social agents representing the internal commerce of Andalusia.
As explained by the Minister of Employment, with this commemoration, the Andalusian government has institutionalized the recognition of a sector that is a driving force for employment and wealth. It employs more than 540,000 people, represents more than 20% of the productive fabric of this land, and has over 135,000 companies and 163,000 commercial establishments.
The Day of Commerce in Andalusia will serve to raise awareness of the importance of this sector and to give visibility and recognize professionals who are an essential pillar for the economic, social, and cultural development of Andalusia, representing «the soul of our towns and cities».
After noting its adaptability, Rocío Blanco expressed the support of the Andalusian government to the sector through the 7th Comprehensive Plan for the Promotion of Internal Commerce in Andalusia horizon 2023-2026, which precisely included the declaration of the Day of Commerce in Andalusia among its measures.
Endowed with around 93 million euros, the Ministry of Employment supports the commerce sector in its adaptation to the new market reality, with aid aimed at modernizing and renovating establishments, as well as digitalizing businesses.
«With this day, we recognize the history, the evolution, its workers, and the symbolism of all that commerce signifies, a brave sector with the strength to continue growing,» added Rocío Blanco.
Celebration in the provinces
Likewise, the Day of Commerce in Andalusia has also been celebrated in the other provinces of the autonomous community. For example, in Cadiz, the territorial delegate of Employment, Daniel Sánchez, visited the Concepción Market in El Puerto de Santa María; while in Granada, the territorial delegate, Javier Martín Cañizares, met with the Merchants and Entrepreneurs Association of the Lower Genil Riverside, in the town of Huétor Tájar.
In Jaén, the territorial delegate of Employment, Business, and Self-Employed Work, Ana Mata, visited three emblematic shops in the capital with a long history such as ‘Donato’, a children’s and baby clothing store, the haberdashery ‘La Verdadera’, and ‘Tejidos El Carmen’; and the representative of the Ministry in Malaga, Carmen Sánchez Sierra, went to Rincón de la Victoria to visit the commercial area with the association of merchants and entrepreneurs.