Proposes establishing an island housing and cargo enterprise in response to the Government’s “inactivity” regarding the island’s issues.
SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 26th Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Socialist Group within the Cabildo of Tenerife has put forth its comprehensive amendment and a total of 103 partial amendments to the island’s budget this Tuesday, aiming to “better manage Tenerife,” claiming there is an “overabundance of announcements” alongside a “dearth of projects.”
The socialists assert that the president, Rosa Dávila, “has not succeeded in her commitment to eliminate the queues within 90 days,” nor has there been any reduction, indicating signs of “inactivity” for the upcoming year, as evidenced by budgets that merely expand by 1.2%, “in stark contrast to the 8% growth that the Cabildo president had guaranteed.”
According to them, actual investment has diminished by over 40 million, and the Cabildo is “shirking” responsibility for the island’s significant issues such as housing, infrastructure and mobility, wastewater management, drought, and care for individuals, through collaboration with municipalities, particularly those with fewer resources and smaller populations.
The portion of the budget allocated to housing by the island government amounts to 0.97% of the total budget (10.3 million compared to 1,057.40 million euros) and with the modifications suggested by the PSOE, over 50.7 million would be mobilised for housing, constituting almost 5% of the authority’s accounts.
In total, the leader of the group, Pedro Martín, has introduced budget modifications amounting to nearly 161 million euros, organised into several key areas: Housing; Environment, climate change, and the right to a clean sea; Active ageing, intergenerational gap, and social policies; Primary sector and animal welfare; Municipal cooperation and mobility.
In terms of Housing, the PSOE of Tenerife proposes the establishment of the ‘TenCasa’ programme, which would handle the new responsibility that councils have acquired since February this year for promoting public housing, taking shape in the creation of the public commercial entity Social Housing of Tenerife (Visoten), aimed at generating the initial public supply of affordable rental homes for the over 13,000 residents of Tenerife on the waiting list.
This programme would also incorporate subsidies for young individuals for their independence, the establishment of a programme where single elderly individuals share their homes with young students, the recovery and enhancement of the Housing Directorate, which was dissolved by the current island government, as well as programmes enabling municipalities to acquire land for housing or rehabilitating existing properties.
These proposals, along with those already included in the budget, are estimated to be worth 23.7 million euros – bringing the total to 50.7 million euros.
ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE RIGHT TO A CLEAN SEA
The socialists suggest the ‘No + leaks’ programme to assist municipalities in reducing water loss in the supply network, enhancing the sanitation network, and promoting household connections to the infrastructure. They also propose increasing funding to sustain efforts initiated during the previous mandate in the construction of water purification and reuse facilities to prevent discharges into the ocean, along with support for flood prevention measures by intervening in ravine channels.
Additionally, considering the waste situation in Tenerife, the PSOE recommends a subsidy line for municipalities to encourage waste separation at the source, thereby enhancing the efficiency of waste management directed towards the PIRS of Arico.
These initiatives are valued at 38 million euros and also include a programme for installing shaded areas in educational establishments.
Active ageing includes proposals for amendments worth over 17.6 million euros, aimed at enhancing the lives of all Tenerife residents, particularly the more vulnerable populations such as the elderly, women, and young adolescents.
The group also proposes an emergency plan addressing the critical dependency situation in Tenerife as well as policies against gender-based violence, notably incorporating specific services for cyber violence.
Specifically, the Socialist Group calls for the establishment of two new centres, one in the northern region (Tacoronte) and another in the south (Granadilla de Abona), with an investment of 13.9 million euros to create nearly 150 new places.
Moreover, they demand the opening of social health centres that are completed or nearly completed, thanks to the PSOE’s management in the Cabildo, such as those in Guía de Isora and La Victoria, which remain closed and unusable.
MUNICIPAL COOPERATION AND MOBILITY
Regarding municipal cooperation, priority and urgent project programmes for municipalities are proposed, along with employment plans in partnership with municipalities, the restoration of the Technical Assistance Office for municipalities, and a plan dedicated to playgrounds.
Furthermore, the Socialist Group has proposed creating and implementing shaded areas in educational centres across the island, financially supported by the Cabildo, to mitigate the effects of solar radiation on the school community.
In terms of mobility, several essential projects are slated, including the access and exit points at the port of Los Cristianos, the strengthening of the shuttle bus programme connecting with the university, as well as the continuation of purchasing new buses and hiring personnel from Titsa, along similar lines to those previously pursued and developed during Pedro Martín’s tenure.
Other pivotal projects for the PSOE include the construction of new fire stations, particularly in the south, enhancing surveillance in the Teide National Park, which has witnessed numerous acts of vandalism in the past year and a half, or the comprehensive reform of the Heliodoro Rodríguez López stadium, to celebrate its centenary after its full renovation, “a commitment made by the current island president that remains unmet, as illustrated by next year’s public accounts.”
