The consellera of Industry, Trade and innovation, Bethlehem Juste acknowledged that the economic slowdown has already extended its network to affect the smaller shops.However, Juste figures presented for approval by his department, the opening over the past year and a half of 130 large and medium commercial areas and 15 shopping malls as a counterpoint to those closures.

"We have no data from the early months of the year, but it is clear that we traverse the economic situation has generated the closure of certain businesses, but it is also true that this year we received new requests to open in the Comunitat large and medium-sized surfaces, the which means that commercial dynamism of previous years continues giving, "said Juste in the presence of the chairman of the council chamber de la Comunidad, Arturo Virosque.000, and local over 1,000 square metres in towns with over 40,000 residents).

The total area of these commercial sites approved represent 600.

The Ministry has approved over the past year and a half 130 applications for superstores (those spaces are more than 600 square metres in municipalities with fewer than 40.000 square metres (an area equivalent to 20 times the plot is located where the Mestalla stadium) and an estimate of job creation of 7,365 jobs (establishing the employment of a worker for every 80 square metres of land open trading) .

From 2007 until now also been approved 15 applications for shopping malls, covering some 525 establishments according to the criterion of 35 per local center opened.

The pace of economic growth in the commercial sector is around 3%, a trend that will continue thanks to new openings, believes Juste, for whom discussions about timetables "are already very HANDS. "As for projects in this term in reference to trade, the Ministry again bet on the idea that shops in the city join forces."I still have to sit with the mayor," the qualified consellera referring to Manuel Perez, although he ventured to say that a year and a half could start developing the commercial project.

The consellera even spell what she considers as the key factor for the future of trade Valencia: "i of that, ideas."

Juste announced that the first urban shopping mall opened de la Comunidad, consisting of establishments with common interests and have a formula as the management of a closed centre, will be in Benidorm.

Much less talkative, and even quite elusive, Juste was when he was questioned for his role in the negotiations which maintains Ikea to settle in the province of Valencia.At first, to questions from journalists, asserted that "no government decides the location of a trade, but that decision depends on the company. "He said further that it has not received any requests for specific location of the Swedish multinational, because what is called a global licence for the shopping center. "Although, in principle, want to wash their hands as regards the arrival of the multinational Swedish Juste acknowledged that his obligation "is to offer product Valencia.Our job is to encourage our entrepreneurs, and as has happened with Carrefour and Pryca, who buy between 45% and 50% of its food products from suppliers Valencia, we intend to Ikea also takes into account our entrepreneurs " .

The consellera explained that negotiations between the industry and Ikea furniture Valencian "are advanced, and is near an agreement between the multinational sector habitat."

Juste gave the example of what happens with textiles, as 15% of providers are Ikea Valencian companies in this sector. Source: LASPROVINCIAS.ES