Melilla Calls for Strategic Plan Amid Economic Crisis Fueled by Morocco Border Closure

For the head of the local government of Melilla, all these factors "have led to the loss of one of the main engines of Melilla’s economy, considerably reducing activity in hotels, retail and other services". De Castro admits that in "difficult situations", like the one Melilla is currently experiencing, "there is no room for improvisation and it is time to implement a strategic plan so that each of the public agents involved knows what they have to do. It is always better to have a plan than nothing at all".

This strategic plan will make it possible to "embark on the path of cooperation between the inhabitants of Melilla, thanks to the synergies between the local institution, the national government and the community bodies", added de Castro, assuring that Melilla’s objective is to achieve "total self-sufficiency and sustainability, based on policies of social inclusion and well-being, economic and social viability marked by flexibility in connection with different parts of the country, and a strategic position of interconnection between Europe and Africa".

"The guiding idea is not to solve the crisis as if it were a temporary problem, but to address a major structural transformation that repositions the city in the international context and strengthens its dynamics in order to generate opportunities for young people and entrepreneurs," concluded the president of the autonomous city.