Alicia Romero, Economic Advisor, assured that the project has the full support of the Generalitat to continue progressing.
Spain.- A day after the Catalan Parliament approved reversing the tax benefits of the Hard Rock project, the Economic and Finance Advisor, Alicia Romero, defended the megaproject stating that it has "many positive elements" in areas such as meeting tourism, business and congresses, and emphasizing that "it is not just a casino".
In an interview on Catalunya Ràdio, Romero declared that the decision on whether the Hard Rock continues or not after the tax change is in the hands of the project's investors. "We will see what they decide with the increase in taxation, we will have to work with them based on the decision they make," she assured, adding that the government defends this project because they believe it has positive elements, such as meeting or business tourism.
It is worth remembering that on Wednesday, January 29, the Catalan Parliament approved the bill to modify the taxation of tourist recreational centers, with the support of PSC, ERC, the Comuns, and the CUP, the abstention of Aliança Catalana (AC), and the rejection of Junts, PP, and Vox.
The proposition, which will affect the aforementioned Hard Rock project, maintains the current taxes on gambling, which for casinos with more business volume is 55 percent, and eliminates the reduction to 10 percent that was approved in 2014, which would come into effect when the gambling and betting activities in the megacomplex operated by Hard Rock began.
See also: No minors and few infractions in the gaming halls of Catalonia in 2024
The Hard Rock project estimates investments worth EUR2.000m and plans the construction of a complex with 1,000 hotel rooms, a casino, a shopping center, a 6,000 square meter pool, a concert space, among other amenities.
More than a decade has passed since the Generalitat de Catalunya presented with great fanfare the construction of the Barcelona World, an entertainment and gaming megacomplex that would be located in the jurisdictions of Salou and Vila-Seca, in the province of Tarragona. The idea of constructing the megacomplex was born in 2012. The mayors of both localities were the last to refer to the development of the complex which for 12 years has made little to no progress and has divided politics by their positions for and against the project.
