SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Sep. 12 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The President of the Government of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, appealed this Monday to seek “consensus” in the approval of a tourist eco-tax on the islands, counting on all the forces of Parliament and economic and social agents, but when there is “certainty” in the tourism subsector.
In response to questions from Cs and Sí Podemos in the control session of the Plenary of Parliament, he commented that the Government pact states that the implementation of a rate and the destination of the proceeds will be studied “and the programs are to be fulfilled”, but now it has not been possible due to the bankruptcy of Thomas Cook and the pandemic.
He pointed out that the summer “has been good” although the reservations for autumn and winter are going well “there is uncertainty” due to the 30% rise in raw materials and a possible increase in air tickets.
Torres has not hidden that the rate “can be an investment to improve tourism” and make a more sustainable subsector, but the key lies in “deciding when the time is right”, especially if the war in Ukraine ends and the economic sectors are normalized.
Ricardo Fernández (Cs), who opens the spokesperson in the Mixed Group, has linked the start of the debate by Sí Podemos to the “pre-electoral environment”, recognizing that “for tourism it is never the time to put taxes” apart from the fact that it contributes 2,600 million a year in income to the autonomous community, 33% of GDP and 35% of employment.
He has said that “it is not reasonable to milk more” tourism and regretted that this debate is promoted “like the Guadiana” in which some are “extending their elbows looking for a photo and covering up” the mismanagement in some departments.
Likewise, he has said that putting a rate now “would be irrelevant” when the collection of the IGIC grows by 16%.
BETWEEN 300 AND 600 MILLION PER YEAR
Manuel Marrero, Yes We Can spokesperson, has announced that his group is already working on the preparation of a draft bill on the eco-tax that will be transferred to the rest of the government partners and always with a “finalist nature” for the collection.
He has defended that it is a “constant” of his group to fight to “transform” the tourism subsector and the ecotax would serve to help conserve the environment and “repair the damage” caused by mass tourism.
It has also been asked if the criticism of the proposal responds to “particular interests of the hotel lobby” and if the Canarian economy can do without between 300 and 600 million annually that could reach 4,000 million with additional European funds.
