From Tagamanent to Hong Kong to explain Catalan cuisine
Chef Mercè Brunés is invited to China to present Catalan dishes on local media.
catalan
The Spanish Government will pay for the train tickets price reduction in the end
After the Spanish Governments announcement to reduce the price of local train tickets by 5% with the aim of fostering public transportation to save fuel, the Catalan Government, which manages the service in Catalonia, quantified in 26 million euros its loss in 1 year. Therefore, the Catalan Executive refused to pay for the measure. The Spanish Government will pay 6.75 million euros for 3 months of the measure.
Ryanair says now it will focus on Girona airport if the Catalan Government pays up
Ryanair’s CEO, Michael O’Leary urges the Catalan Government to pay 11,5 million euros to the airline if it wants Girona’s airport to see all its Ryanair flights back from October onwards. O’Leary says that the Irish company cancelled 28% of its routes from Girona for the Spring/Summer season due to the “lack of commitment” from the new Catalan executive.
Santi Santamaría: “We are a showcase to display products you’d never have known before”
The Catalan Chef Santi Santamaria died of a heart attack this February. Last Autumn he gave this video interview in which he depicts his view on cuisine, the importance of local quality products, his own career and the new generation of the Catalan chefs.
Yamaha closes its factory in Catalonia and fires 388 workers
At the end of January, the Japanese motorbike company announced its decision and this week it issued its mass layoff plan. Yamaha will concentrate all its European production in its French factory. The Catalan factory was making profit and trade unions have stressed that the decision is only based on the company’s strategy. Yamaha will keep its commercial offices in Catalonia.
The Catalan President asks Barroso to make the Mediterranean Railway Corridor a European priority
The President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso met with the President of the Catalan Government Artur Mas in Brussels. Barroso recognised the Catalan Government's efforts to reduce public deficit. Mas emphasised the importance of making Catalan an official EU language. Mas was accompanied by the Christian-Democrat Josep Antoni Duran i Lleida and the new Catalan Delegate to the European Union, Joan Prat.
Car components company Ficosa buys the American Camryn
The Catalan multinational car components company Ficosa increased its sales in the US and Mexico by 20%. Ficosa is also expanding its Viladecavalls plant in the South of Barcelona to turn it into an international technological centre. The Catalan company will have more than 28% of the North-American market share of car mirrors.
Barcelona presents ten companies to London investors
Scott Sage (UK Investor): "Barcelona has been our focal point in Spain". A group of companies from the Catalan capital attended a meeting with investors in the United Kingdom.
CatalunyaCaixa would need at least 1,500 million euros to reach the 10% of ‘core capital’
CatalunyaCaixa won 109.1 million euros in 2010, 1.1% less than in 2009. The second Catalan savings bank is the result from the merger of Caixa Catalunya, Caixa Tarragona and Caixa Manresa. The resulting savings bank currently has 6.9% of core capital, far from the needed 10% by next September. The savings bank already announced its plans to become a regular bank.
The Catalan healthcare system cuts 900 million euro
The Catalan Health Minister, Boi Ruiz, announced today that waiting lists will increase - with the exception of “life or death” situations. Hospitals will see their budget in health treatments and explorations decrease by 2%. In addition, the construction of new hospitals and health centres will also be put on stand by.
Unemployment list increases by 13,000 people in February in Catalonia
602,611 people were unemployed at the end of February in Catalonia, which is 2.2% more than at the end of January.
Vocational training is adapted to modern times
With the aim of fostering vocational training in Catalonia, the Catalan Government approved a decree to modify it today. All students will have to learn foreign languages. Combining studies and a job will be easier. Programmes’ curriculum will be adapted to sector needs and student requirements.
In the end, the Catalan Government’s deficit for 2010 is 3.86%
Spain saw 2010 end with 9.24% of public deficit; 4.97% corresponds to the Spanish Government, 3.39% to the autonomous communities and 0.64% to the local administrations. According to the Spanish Government, half of the autonomous communities saw the year come to an end far away from the objective of 2.4% - Catalonia included. The Catalan Government emphasised that the Spanish Government cut down the revenues of the autonomous communities.
The Catalan cava industry sold a record number of 244 million bottles last year
Thanks to exports, 2010 was a great year for the Catalan cava industry. The total revenue reached 1,031 million euros, 10.87% more than 2009.
Criteria CaixaCorp’s net profit increased by 38% in 2010
The industrial holding of the main Catalan savings bank, ‘la Caixa’, made 1,823 million euros of net profit in 2010. Criteria will be the embryo of La Caixa’s new private bank, which will be called CaixaBank.