Seven out of every ten Tenerife people are left out of the distribution of direct aid of Council to the municipalities in the island budget for 2022. The distribution of 16 million euros of nominative subsidy among the island’s municipalities it has unleashed controversy and rebellion by mayors who are not socialists. The reason is that more than 80% of these aid distributed by the insular government have gone to municipalities governed by the PSOE; that is to say, of the same political color as the president of the island government, Pedro Martín. They only benefit three out of every ten people from Tenerife in this way.
The controversy over the distribution of this line of aid continues, while a clarification from the island government on the criteria used continues to be received. Pedro Martín and his finance minister, Berta Pérez, have spoken of “equity” but have not detailed the fundamentals they used for the scale, while focusing their responses on criticism of the Canary Coalition, which they accuse of leading and instigating the rebellion. The disagreement, which has divided the municipalities into two blocks, emerged last Thursday during the celebration of the Insular Council of Territorial Administration (CIAT).
The distribution of the Cabildo has generated great discomfort among the mayors who receive little or no help, and who describe the distribution as an “investment imbalance on the island.” The main criticism lies in “the lack of objective criteria for granting aid and the arbitrary way of carrying it out.” Thus, the 16 million euros go to 14 of the 31 municipalities on the island, and of those 16 million, 14 are for municipalities governed or co-governed by the PSOE. Conclusion for the affected municipalities: “The distribution does not respond to an objective criterion and leaves out 7 out of 10 inhabitants of Tenerife.”
Demography.
According to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE), the population of Tenerife was 1,044,887 people as of January 1, 2021. Nominal subsidies from the Cabildo for municipalities in 2022 will only benefit 332,561 people (31.8%) . They leave out more than 712,000 (712,326), which represents 68.2% of the island’s population. That is, 7 out of 10 residents will not receive a single euro. The municipalities most benefited are La Matanza (2,835,000 euros), Vilaflor (1,650,000), La Laguna (1.5 million), El Tanque (1,356,000 euros), La Victoria (1.3 million euros) and San Juan de la Rambla (1.3 million). Fasnia (1,048,379 euros), Tegueste (812,813 euros) and Guía de Isora (731,000 euros) have also been awarded by the distribution. The municipalities of Güímar and Arafo, in which the PSOE governs with CC and IAI, receive 1.3 million euros and 200,000 euros, respectively. The only municipalities not governed by the PSOE on this list are Los Silos (600,000 euros), La Orotava (600,000 euros) and Los Realejos (678,034 euros).
Evolution.
During the mandate of Carlos Alonso (CC), until 2019, grants were common practice for unique activities. Thus, in 2018 the Cabildo granted 16.4 million euros, about 661,000, or 4.02%, for municipalities. Of that amount, 60.5% for those governed by the PSOE. In 2019 the amount reached 16.2 million euros, of which just over one million (1,012,925) went to the municipalities. It was 6.23% of the total and increased due to the storm that hit the island for aid to the affected municipalities. Of the million euros, about 390,000 were for socialist municipalities (38.5%). The first government of Pedro Martín in 2020 maintained the nominative subsidies until reaching 16.1 million euros. 415,000 were allocated to city councils (2.57%) and socialist municipalities received 68.5% (284,800). The trend was maintained this year, with 12 million euros, of which only 325,000 were for municipalities (2.69%). Of that figure, 83.1% went to municipalities governed by the PSOE (270,161). The item scheduled for 2022 doubles the previous one –from 12 million to 25.4– and grants almost 16 million to municipalities, 62.6% of the total direct aid. These were 4% in 2018; 6.2% in 2019; 2.5% in 2020 and 2.6% in 2021. Of the 15.9 million euros, 80% are for municipalities where the PSOE governs and the figure reaches 88% if those where it co-governs join.
“Biased reading.”
Marián Franquet, Minister of Social Action and spokesperson for the Insular Socialist Group, in statements to Radio Club Tenerife, yesterday denied “categorically” any type of discrimination in favor of the PSOE councils in direct aid. He maintains that “Carlos Alonso makes a biased reading on only 1.6% of the Cabildo’s budget” and emphasizes that “we are entangled with an amount used in a tortuous way.” He considers that this is a “false reading” of the budgets because “the nominal subsidy is an investment formula, but there are many others.” Franquet insists that “there is balance in the distribution and if this Cabildo is characterized by something, it is by seeking and achieving a balance in the distribution of money.”
He remembers some investments in the municipality of El Rosario – its mayor, Escolástico Gil, is one of those who has rejected the deal -: “He has received ten million for the Industrial Park and 1.5 for a municipal treatment plant.” And it sums up. “It is among the most benefited from Tenerife, if not the most, in the investments of the Cabildo.” The counselor points out that “the accounts total more than 863 million euros with significant growth items in Tourism, Social Services, Education and Youth, Climate Change or Waste Management.” Add: “They try to confuse and divert attention with that 1.6%.”
It clarifies that there are nominative subsidies “not only to municipalities but, for example, to the ULL or social entities whose result goes to the citizens of Tenerife without political color.” Franquet concludes: “These 16 million include the response to a historic demand from a town in La Laguna, the Tejina Farmer’s Market. That is to say, economic revitalization, job creation, care for the environment, circular economy … Colación Canaria lost the elections in La Laguna and we maintain the response to the demands of the citizens with a socialist mayor.
