The state had the second highest growth in economic activity in the national territory during the past year.
In 2023, Oaxaca was the second state with the highest annual growth in its economy; however, challenges persist such as connectivity, job creation and urban planning, both on the coast and in the metropolitan area, which are some of the areas towards which it is necessary to direct public policies to mitigate gaps, said the president of the College of Economists of Oaxaca, Hugo Félix Clímaco.
In this regard, the specialist spoke of the importance of promoting employment through the megaprojects that are being developed in the area; he also mentioned encouraging the Well-being Development Poles.
Urban planning, he said, is crucial in the face of the tourist growth of Huatulco and Puerto Escondido; in this last destination, hotel occupancy has begun to register historical figures that translate into an increase in the demand for services and, consequently, their saturation.
These hotel occupancy figures are historic, they had not been seen before, the average in Puerto Escondido was about 40%, now suddenly having 66%, is very high, and what does this imply in terms of demand for services?: A saturation and a collapse in services in terms of water, drainage, security, in terms of urbanization, light and it generates worrying pressures,” he said.
Risks for productivity
Both Huatulco and Puerto Escondido, he said, are highly productive lands – due to the humidity that comes from the southern mountains – but if that surface is destined for tourist developments it could generate a problem of social inclusion and productivity.
“Instead of continuing to be one of the first producers of lemon, papaya and peanuts, if those lands are destined for tourist developments, for condominiums, I think that it would not be the best use, but urban planning is crucial there,” he explained.
In these matters, he added, the coordinated intervention of the three levels of government is required, especially due to the extension and territorial division of the state, which is segmented into 570 municipalities.
In particular, the development of a destination like Puerto Escondido must be inter-municipal, with the guidance of the state government, for the provision of services, for the supply of water and drainage.
“There are the challenges. There are enormous opportunities thanks to the connectivity that has just been improved, however, it is also the time when we must avoid generating another Acapulco,” said Hugo Félix.
The edges
In Oaxaca, the challenges in connectivity have several edges, one of them is the road; the economist explained that the high-specification highway axes do not connect the entire Pacific coast; to which is added the geographical dispersion of the state, plus the problems of internet connectivity.
“Municipal capitals and many communities – Oaxaca is the state with the greatest geographical dispersion – are not connected, not even through good quality rural roads, that is one. The other is the internet services that would make it feasible to provide health, education, knowledge, training, to these communities; the state has the worst connectivity in terms of internet,” he said.
An example is the distance between Oaxaca and Tuxtepec, it is approximately 200 kilometers, but the journey, he said, can take up to six hours; he added that there is a highway project that the state administration is preparing to connect both points.
Since Oaxaca is one of the states with the greatest orographic difficulty, he said, it is a great challenge to provide services, career connectivity, internet connection and a broad definition of connectivity.
Annual increase
The state’s economy reported an annual growth of 8.3% in 2023, according to the Quarterly Indicator of State Economic Activity (ITAEE), which was the second most significant advance in the country.
The growth achieved by the state, explained the president of the College of Economists of Oaxaca, was linked to factors such as tourism, public investment and coverage of social programs, however, challenges persist that deepen economic and social gaps.
During the first quarter of the year, labor poverty impacted 59.7% of the state population, which was the second highest percentage in the country, reported Coneval. In the same period, it registered a labor informality rate of 81.1%, the most pronounced, according to Inegi.
Source: eleconomista
