The Ensenada chapter of COPARMEX (Confederación Patronal de la República Mexicana), Mexico’s national employers’ confederation, is calling on state, municipal, and congressional authorities to pass legislation that would mandate administrative simplification and digital government services in Baja California.
Business leader José Alfredo Salazar Juárez made the public appeal, arguing that digitalization efforts need legal backing to have lasting effect. He pointed to the federal government’s Digital Transformation and Telecommunications Agency as a model framework that state and local authorities should follow.
Red Tape Remains a Major Barrier
The push comes as Ensenada’s business community continues to grapple with slow, paper-heavy bureaucratic processes. Permit approvals, business registrations, and routine government interactions still require multiple in-person visits to municipal and state offices. For anyone opening a business or managing property in the city, these delays translate directly into lost time and money.
Recent data from the Ensenada Business Coordinating Council paints a picture of incremental progress. Five years ago, setting up a business in Ensenada took up to 18 months. That timeline has been cut to roughly six months, according to council president Julio Alberto Salinas López. The state has also reduced the number of required procedures from 130 to about 70. But business leaders say the pace is not fast enough.
Ensenada’s Broader Business Ambitions
COPARMEX’s digitalization demand fits into a larger moment for Ensenada’s economy. The city is positioning itself as a nearshoring hub, with plans to invest over $300 million USD (5.74 billion pesos) in public works. A 1,000-hectare development called Ciudad Jatay, featuring an industrial park, technology park, and housing, is planned for construction over the next five to ten years.
Salazar Juárez’s central argument is that none of these ambitions will reach their potential without a legal framework requiring digital processes. Without legislation, he warned, reforms depend on the priorities of whoever holds office at any given time. A law would create permanent obligations for government agencies to offer online services, digital permits, and streamlined approvals.
What COPARMEX Wants
Specifically, the employers’ group wants the Baja California state congress and Ensenada’s municipal government to enact binding rules requiring digital service delivery. The group also wants artificial intelligence tools, one-stop service windows, and online systems incorporated into government operations. No timeline for potential legislation has been announced by any of the targeted government bodies.
This story was first reported by Ensenada.net.