The inhabitants of Ísafjördur, in Iceland’s Westfjords, held a meeting yesterday to discuss its future. At the meeting it was demanded the government keep its promise of developing the town’s economic life.
According to Morgunbladid, Lína Björg Tryggvadóttir, the director of the debt collection agency Intrum in Ísafjördur, quoted a report about economic growth in Iceland between 1998 and 2004 at the meeting.
The report, which was undertaken by the Urban Development Institute (Byggdastofnun) and the Economic Institute (Hagfraedistofnun) of the University of Iceland, reveals that economic growth was 49 percent in the capital region, while the total economic growth in other parts of the country was nearly 30 percent.
But as Tryggvadóttir explained, the Westfjords had been left out in this economic upswing. There was no economic growth in the Westfjords in the same time period; on the contrary it was measured minus six percent.
“In light of these results it must be a natural demand that the government make operations, investments and other developments, which increase economic growth and secure a basis for an inhabited area in the Westfjords, a priority ,” Tryggvadóttir said.
Recently Marel decided to close its operations in Ísafjördur and the inhabitants fear the same will happen to the company 3X Stál.
Click here to read a feature about the Westfjords.
