Without industry there is no country

Without industry there is no country

I take advantage of the article sent a few days ago in which we talked about the industries that were exhausted as well as the opinion article of the President of the General Council of Official Associations of Industrial Engineers Mr. Jesús Rodríguez Cortezo read some time ago in a national newspaper and that it titled “Without industry there is no country.”

Among other things, Mr. Rodríguez Cortezo pointed out that the industry has a transcendental importance in the economy of a country, and strengthening it will help a lot to get out of the crisis.

Mr. Rodríguez Cortezo continues to point out when he says in his article: “Industry is the sector with the highest productivity and the one that generates the best quality employment due to its qualifications and stability”. The President of the Council regrets that for decades there has been speculation that the service society could live without industrial and technological support.

I take advantage of what I read in this article to comment on what has been happening for years in the fitness sector at the level of Public Administrations, these have not taken into account the industries – which are not the same as companies that sell – at the time to award the equipment competitions.

We know that the same happens with other products from other sectors of our economy.

They have opted and continue to do so on countless occasions, by awarding to companies that even when they are located in Spain import their products from other markets, yes, we have to recognize that they are from brands with a lot of name internationally but, we repeat, their manufacture is almost always outsourced outside the countries from which these brands originate.

In order to select the best product and supplier, Public Administrations should be obliged to know the market for the product in question, its alternatives, and its quality. All this has contributed to the emergence of a new power, which is not in the political science books, which we could call “technical power”. The exercise of discretion is based on reports from officials. This is to avoid possible arbitrariness, but the technicians are also human and sometimes they lend themselves to covering decisions that allow the politician on duty a perfect alibi in case things turn out badly.

Obviously, I do not question the probity and honesty of the various levels of the Public Administration, which, like most political managers, exercise their function with integrity. However, if I want to put on record that the increase in interventionism by the public powers and the increase in discretion bordering on arbitrariness in public procurement are a field for the weeds of corruption to grow.