The event, held at the Hotel Huerto del Cura in Elche, was attended by Juan Bravo, Deputy Secretary of Economy for the Popular Party; Alfonso Calero, president of Jovempa Federation; and Gareth Rhys-Jones, president of Jovempa Elche and Comarca, along with representatives from the business community and self-employed professionals from the province.

During the meeting, several key proposals for the self-employed sector were discussed, including 0% VAT for turnovers under 85,000 euros annually, a zero tariff for new self-employed individuals during their first year, reduction of bureaucracy, bonuses for hiring workers, protection from the first day of sick leave, 100% pension compatibility with professional activity, support for maternity and paternity with fee exemptions, reinforcement of the Second Chance Law, and the right to error for correcting good-faith mistakes without penalties.

Gareth Rhys-Jones highlighted the need to make entrepreneurship attractive to younger generations and ensure the continuity of the business fabric. "For young people to want to start businesses, we must make entrepreneurship profitable. If we want to ensure generational succession and the birth of new companies, we have to make being self-employed profitable and viable again," he stated.

Rhys-Jones also emphasized the importance of reducing administrative burdens, facilitating access to aid, and creating a more favorable environment for the self-employed, micro, and small businesses, especially in their early stages of activity.

Jovempa presented a working document with proposals to promote a Municipal Plan for Support to the Self-Employed, SMEs, and Local Commerce of Elche. This plan is conceived as a stable strategy to strengthen the local economic fabric and improve the competitiveness of companies and professionals.

The document outlines measures such as municipal fee bonuses and flexibilization, a one-stop shop and express processing for low-risk activities, aid for new self-employed individuals and established companies, training programs in digitalization and artificial intelligence, support measures for local commerce and consumer voucher campaigns, promotion of strategic public procurement aligned with Sustainable Development Goals, and generational succession programs.

Jovempa advocated for the importance of promoting useful and realistic policies that favor business creation, the maintenance of economic activity, and job generation in Elche and its surrounding region.

The meeting also served as a platform for dialogue between institutional representatives and the business community to convey concerns and proposals aimed at strengthening the entrepreneurial and business ecosystem.