The president of the ASG Parliamentary Group, Melodie Mendoza, demands that the Canary Government provide territorialised information on self-employment aid to prevent the Green Islands from being left behind. She proposes a 50% reduction in Social Security contributions for entrepreneurs in La Gomera, El Hierro, and La Palma.
The Gomera MP Melodie Mendoza has highlighted the territorial gap hidden in the overall figures for self-employment support in the Canary Islands. During her speech in Parliament, the spokesperson for Agrupación Socialista Gomera (ASG) called on the Vice President and Minister of Economy, Manuel Domínguez, to break down the impact of the measures implemented by the regional government by island.
Eight distinct realities for Canary Island self-employed workers
Mendoza acknowledged the progress made during the legislature, such as the zero quota, which benefited 3,620 self-employed workers in 2025 and required a budget increase to 3.3 million euros. She also praised the aid for temporary incapacity, the Concilia programme, the +Uno52 incentive for first hiring, and the creation of the General Directorate of Self-Employed Workers and the Observatory of Self-Employment.
However, she warned that the overall data conceals very disparate realities. “In the Canary Islands, there is not a single reality for the self-employed. There are at least eight distinct realities, because the difficulties faced by a self-employed person in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria are not the same as those in the municipality of Agulo,” she stated.
The parliamentarian urged the Government to provide disaggregated data by island and assess whether the measures are sufficient in areas with fewer opportunities and higher costs. “If 50 new businesses open in Tenerife, but at the same time, 20 close in La Gomera, El Hierro, and La Palma, the overall balance may be positive, but we also need to know the evolution in each island,” she pointed out.
A 50% reduction in contributions for the Green Islands
Mendoza reiterated ASG's proposal for the State to apply a 50% reduction in Social Security contributions for businesses and self-employed workers in the Green Islands. She requested the support of all parliamentary groups and the collaboration of the regional government for this measure.
The Gomera leader maintained that if territorial imbalances are not corrected, any entrepreneur will tend to settle in areas with greater profitability potential. Therefore, she appealed to the shared responsibility of the State, the Canary Government, the councils, and the municipalities to create conditions that make it attractive to start a business in the islands with lower populations.
The MP reminded that La Gomera, El Hierro, and La Palma have the highest unemployment rates and the lowest incomes in the archipelago, which complicates the viability of businesses. In this regard, she considered that general policies are not enough and that specific measures are required to prevent depopulation and the closure of economic activities in these islands.
Mendoza concluded her speech by urging the Government to present a detailed report on the evolution of self-employment by island in the next session period, with indicators such as the number of registrations, cancellations, sectors, and average profitability. Only then, she said, can truly effective and fair policies be designed for the entire Canary territory.
