On the occasion of the visit to Spain of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration of Ghana, Charles A. Owiredu, the CEOE International President, Marta Blanco, met with the Deputy Minister and the Ambassador of Ghana in Spain, Elizabeth Adjei, to strengthen relations and evaluate possible joint collaboration lines to strengthen business relations between Spain and Ghana.

The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs highlighted the opportunities that his government is currently offering, in priority sectors such as agriculture, banking or industrialization in Ghana, and highlighted the high level of training received by the Ghanaian population.

He also stressed that within the region of West Africa, which make up the countries of Togo, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana, and that encompasses more than 350 million inhabitants, The stability and security offered by Ghana allows it to be the gateway for many foreign companies interested in establishing themselves in the region. Currently, more than 50 Spanish companies are established in the country.

For her part, the president of CEOE International highlighted the political stability, the good work of the Ghanaian administration in the economic and business field and its commitment to regional integration, as three of the key pieces for foreign investment, where Spanish companies are located, betting on the country.

Likewise, Marta Blanco highlighted the leadership of our companies in some of the priority sectors such as agri-food and the modernization of the agri-food industry, the infrastructure and rail sector, and showed CEOE's commitment to collaborate with the government of Ghana to publicize the business and investment opportunities among Spanish companies and business organizations.

On the other hand, he highlighted the growing interest of Spanish companies in Ghana, especially after the commitment made by the EU, through the Compact with Africa initiative, to boost the presence of the private sector. Although, he also stressed the importance of Spanish companies feel the support of the administration on both Ghanaian and Spanish.

Finally, the Ghanaian ambassador in Spain, Elizabeth Adjei, thanked CEOE for its commitment to promote business relations with her country and mentioned the successful Spain-Ghana Business Meeting held at the CEOE headquarters in March on the occasion of the visit to Spain of the Minister of Business Development of Ghana, as a result of which numerous Spanish companies have contacted the Embassy to learn more about the business and investment opportunities offered by Ghana.

The CEOE Board of Directors, at the proposal of its president, Antonio Garamendi, has appointed the businesswoman Clara Arpa member of the Executive Committee of the Confederation. Diploma in Labor Relations and specialized in international cooperation and management of corporate social responsibility, is president of the Center for Innovation for Sustainable Development and CEO of the company ARPA Mobile Teams Campaign, among other positions.

This company is one of the five most important companies in the world in the design, manufacture and deployment of campaign logistics solutions for the defense, health and emergency sectors. Its services range from the modular construction of field hospitals to infrastructure complements such as water treatment, sanitation, waste management, providing integral solutions and state-of-the-art technology for mass communication systems.

Throughout his career, his interest in sustainability led him to found the Center for Innovation for Sustainable Development, CIDS, which chairs and collects innovative ideas generated in the company and in society to support sustainable development in the world, working on five of the United Nations objectives (ODS) in this area. He is a member of the United Nations Global Compact Board and of several professional associations.

Clara Arpa was born in Zaragoza and her business and human work has been recognized with various national and international awards. The most recent is the award of the Cross Merit Military with white badge, granted by the Ministry of Defense of Spain.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is a fundamental element in the field of occupational safety and health, since it represents the last barrier of the worker facing a certain risk. Therefore, it is crucial that PPE complies with existing regulations to guarantee its function. Accidents and occupational diseases are aspects that concern all workers, and PPE are key elements to reduce these risks.

In Spain, ASEPAL, Association of Companies of Personal Protection Equipment, and that groups more than 90% of companies that carry out this activity, it is revealed as the essential association to perform the tasks of representation of this sector, as well as to work with all its ecosystem in the fields of safety and health at work.

ASEPAL was set up in 1989 as a response to the new implementation of European regulations governing the commercialization and use of PPE (Individual Protection Equipment) at the community level. This milestone marked the birth of this sector, and where before there were companies that worked with plastic, rubber, textiles, leather, footwear, etc., began to speak of companies that were dedicated to the specialized manufacture of EPI.

Since then, ASEPAL has grouped manufacturers and main distributors of personal protective equipment (EPI), becoming a reference entity, both in the national context and in international markets.

The work that is done from ASEPAL focuses on:

• Sensitization and awareness of the importance of the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and training for its proper functioning.
• Information and guidance demanded by any member of the association.
• Information and technical advice.
• Dissemination of these issues in the public opinion.

In this context, it works in coordination with the competent Ministries, the Administration, the employers, the trade unions, and other associations of the sector, with a view to the creation and modification of directives, norms and regulations.

On the other hand, the associates can count on ASEPAL as an institution that represents and defends the interests of its members before the State, Autonomic and Local Administrations, and all kinds of people, entities, organisms and institutions. Also, as a very important aspect within its sphere of activity, The organization is responsible for the promotion of research and study on personal safety.

Practically one in three self-employed workers, 28.7%, would raise the contribution base to Social Security if they improve the benefits to which they are entitled, according to the report "The self-employed worker before social security"Carried out by the National Federation of Associations of Autonomous Workers, ATA for Fundación MAPFRE.

The study, the result of a survey of more than 1,800 self-employed workers, aims to analyze the approach of the self-employed to social, public and complementary pension systems, and increase their financial and insurance knowledge so that they can make more informed decisions about your future.

"Among the objectives that Fundación MAPFRE has is the promotion of a greater financial and insurance culture," says Julio Domingo, General Director of Fundación MAPFRE, "The more information citizens have, the better decisions they can make about their future and, speaking of supplementary savings and pensions, decisions have to be made 20 or 30 years before retirement, for which it is essential to be well informed . That is why we work to disseminate this knowledge by promoting studies for specific groups, such as this one of ATA, or through initiatives such as the portal Insurance and pensions for all "

The Study reflects that 86% of the self-employed contribute for the minimum base, which in 2019 is set at € 944.40 / month. Despite this figure, it should be noted that 37.9% of the group is predisposed to change and raise their contribution base, of which 28.7% said that they would do so if they improve the benefits they currently offer to the group.

Against this, 38.2% of the self-employed points out the lack of income as the main reason for not uploading their base contribution and a 13.2% prefer to invest money in hiring private plans because they consider that they are better than the benefits that they will receive from the public system.

Given this situation, the study carried out by ATA evaluates the knowledge that the self-employed have and believe they have about which rights derive from their contributions. One in two freelancers – 54.9% – believe they do not have sufficient knowledge of the benefits generated by their contributions to Social Security and only one in three self-employed – 33.7% – considers that they know the basics. Only 3% of the self-employed consider that they have a wide knowledge of the benefits to which they have the right to be autonomous and to contribute to the Social Security.

The contribution bases established by the Social Security for 2019 establish the minimum contribution base at € 944.40 / month and the maximum at € 4070.10 / month. From these two figures the self-employed can choose the amount for which they wish to pay (30% of the chosen base is what is quoted). That 30% is distributed:

• 28.30% – Common contingencies.
• 0.90% – Professional contingencies.
• 0.70% – Cessation of activity
• 0.10% – Professional training.

Breaking down the different social benefits included in the quote, health care, sick leave and retirement are the best known by the self-employed: two out of every three self-employed – 67.2% – affirm that they know their contribution entitles them to healthcare, 58.5% have access to sick leave not derived from their professional activity and practically one in two – 47.1% – know they have the right to retirement.

As for professional contingencies, two out of every three self-employed workers – 66, 2% – know that this contribution entitles them to benefit in case of an accident at work. Faced with this, one in four self-employed – 25.6% – mistakenly believes that professional contingencies also cover health care.

It is appreciated among the collective ignorance of the benefits that cover the different contingencies for which they are contributing: 20.8% – one in five self-employed – believes that common contingencies give them the right to leave due to an accident at work or occupational disease, when this benefit is included in the contribution for professional contingencies, a contribution for which up to January 1, 2019, only 19% of the self-employed contributed. After the last approved measures all the self-employed already quote for professional contingencies.

"In short, the study reflects a group of self-employed workers with a high degree of ignorance of both the benefits to which they are entitled due to their contribution to Social Security, which resorts moderately to private protection systems and on which it is declared , mostly, unfamiliar", Points out José Luis Perea, general secretary of ATA.

Graphs 3.3 and 3.4, which are presented below, show what the respondents really know about the benefits that correspond to them for the payment of their Social Security contributions. The question asked specifically was what are the benefits linked to each type of contingency. In the graphs you can see marked with a check (✓) the correct answers.

Six out of ten freelancers suspend social security

The study also analyzes what is the assessment of the collective Social Security system in general and how they see it in comparison with the tax burden and the services of the rest of European countries.

The feeling of misinformation and ignorance that the self-employed have in the social protection systems has as a consequence the low valuation of the benefits of both sectors. Thus, it is observed as six out of ten autonomous, 59.8% suspend Social Security and only 12.1% of the one above the notable rating.

In addition, a strong 62.6% believes that the Spanish system is below or well below the rest of European countries. "The lack of information seems clear, in this sense, because Spain is spearheading the equal rights of self-employed workers, being the only State that has a Statute of Autonomous Work, a fundamental piece in the equality of rights of the workers, "says José Luis Perea.

This disinformation is particularly worrisome, the study notes, taking into account that many of the measures are recent and given their novelty they should have had enough diffusion to reach, at least, the members of the group affected.

As a conclusion to the study, both entities point out the need to address an awareness campaign among the group of benefits that may involve increasing, as far as possible, their contribution base and also serve to make them more aware of the benefits to which they are entitled.

José María Quijano Riestra has been elected as the new general secretary of the Spanish Confederation of Transport of Goods (CETM) to replace Miguel Ángel Valverde Jiménez, who has been at the head of the CETM for seventeen years and who will continue to be linked to the organization in quality of counselor and as general secretary of the Spanish Confederation of Employers Organizations of Transport by Road (CONETRANS).

Quijano, born in Santander in 1963, takes the reins of which is recognized by the Ministry of Development as the largest transport and logistics organization in Spain and representing more than 31,000 companies throughout the national territory. Bachelor in Economics and Business Administration from the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) and Master in Management and Management of Transport and Logistics Companies from the ESIC Business School, he has nearly thirty years of experience in positions of national and international responsibility in the management team of the CETM.

Currently, he also holds the position of general secretary of the Spanish Federation of Transport Assistants (FEDAT – CETM OPERADORES) and is the manager of SINTRA, S.L., the transport services company of the CETM.

For his part, Dulsé Díaz Fresno has been appointed deputy secretary general. Diploma in Business Management and Administration from the UCM and Master in Management and Management of Transport and Logistics Companies by the ESIC, Díaz will continue holding the positions of Director of Communication and Image of the CETM and general secretary of CETM Cisterns and CETM Carriers .

The CETM is committed to internal promotion in the preparation of its new organization chart, with which it intends to strengthen its national and international leadership capacity in the transport and merchandise logistics sector, expanding its framework of action and participation and increasing both the services that are being offered, such as the quality of them.