Fuerteventura Chamber of Commerce calls for transparency in Port Authority’s 2027 Business Plan

The Official Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Services and Navigation of Fuerteventura welcomes the Las Palmas Port Authority’s commitment to developing the Port of Puerto del Rosario, but says the 2027 Business Plan must be examined rigorously to establish the actual investment planned for the island.

After reviewing the document, the Chamber notes that a significant share of the announced investment is for projects already included in Business Plans for previous years which have still not been carried out.

These include the €2 million earmarked to prepare the facilities for a future maritime connection between Puerto del Rosario and Tarfaya. This is a strategic project for diversifying Fuerteventura’s economy, and budget funding has been included in several financial years without the works being undertaken.

The Plan also once again includes a 250-metre extension to the commercial quay, a key infrastructure project to increase the port’s operating capacity and strengthen its competitiveness. However, it was already part of plans for previous years.

The Chamber says it is essential to clearly distinguish between projects being included for the first time and those that remain in the programme because they have not been carried out. Only then will it be possible to establish exactly how much new investment Fuerteventura will actually receive in 2027.

In this regard, the institution points out that the Port of Puerto del Rosario’s electrical connection is the main new investment in the 2027 Business Plan. The project will contribute to modernising port facilities, improving their energy efficiency and meeting decarbonisation targets.

Juan Jesús Rodríguez Marichal, president of the Fuerteventura Chamber of Commerce, said: “Planning is important, but the true measure of commitment to an island is whether investments are actually delivered. Fuerteventura needs completed works, not projects repeated year after year in Business Plans without ever being carried out.”

The business organisation believes future Business Plans should include a dedicated section clearly identifying newly proposed investments, projects rescheduled from previous years and the progress made in delivering existing commitments.

The Chamber of Commerce also announced that it is preparing a comparative report on successive Business Plans from the Las Palmas Port Authority. The report will analyse how planned investment in Puerto del Rosario has evolved, how much has been delivered and the timelines for implementing projects that are strategic for the island.

Rodríguez Marichal concluded: “Transparency in planning and the effective fulfilment of commitments are the best guarantees of building trust between institutions, businesses and the public. Fuerteventura needs to know clearly which investments are genuinely new, which remain outstanding and when they will be delivered. Only with this rigorous information will it be possible to assess the true investment commitment to the island and make progress towards port infrastructure that meets its present and future needs.”