I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT: "FOREIGN SHOPKEEPERS DO NOT PAY TAXES" 

There is neither particular financial help for foreign shopkeepers nor a tax relief for those shopkeepers having a foreign nationality. Foreign shopkeepers have got the same tax and labour obligations as national shopkeepers. They can also be penalised for not complying the legislation. Health regulations are the same for all establishments.

THEY DO NOT HAVE A FLEXIBLE WORK SCHEDULE

Retail food establishments in Catalonia, whose owner is a small and medium-seize enterprise and its selling area is smaller than 150m², can open at any time during all the year. There are only two holidays when they must close their establishment: January the 1st and December the 25th.

THEY ARE NOT THE REASON WHY LOCAL SHOPS ARE CLOSING

Autochthonous shops are not disappearing due to foreign shops. Actually, the fact that foreigners have set up their shops in neighbourhoods of the city which did not have much trading has revitalised these areas. In some cases, foreign shopkeepers have guaranteed a new trading generation for those shops whose owners were about to retire. They have also contributed to retrieve types of trading that were disappearing such as retail food establishments.

THEY ARE NOT FUNDED BY MAFIAS

The small foreign trade has a family dimension: it is usually the result of “solidarity loans” coming from the family circle. They get low prices because they group themselves when making large orders and because they accept a narrow profit margin.

THEY ARE MERGING THEMSELVES LITTLE BY LITTLE

There are initiatives from PIME-Comerç (SMEs), Confederació de Comerç de Catalunya and Gremi d’Hostaleria de Sabadell who have incorporated migrant shopkeepers to their associations. There are about 65% of foreign shopkeepers who do not know about these entities. It is important to stress the fact that 47% of shopkeepers having a Spanish nationality take part in these entities.

 

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FACING RUMORS,

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