Although both the PP and Coalición Canaria have defended tax reductions on various occasions and even ran in the last regional elections promising that they would lower the IGIC, not only has that not happened, but in the island of Tenerife they have just approved the implementation of a new tax on drivers. This tax, referred to as the “forestry cent,” will ultimately be one cent for every litre of fuel refilled, and supposedly, the revenue will be allocated to fund “priority environmental actions.” It is worth noting that these same parties reject the implementation of a tourist tax, arguing that, on the one hand, they did not want to impose further costs on residents (as they claim it cannot be applied only to tourists), and on the other, they could not guarantee that a tourist tax would be earmarked, meaning that its revenue would serve a specific purpose.
However, neither the PP nor CC recall these reasons when creating this new tax for the people of Tenerife. Thus, the plenary session of the Cabildo of Tenerife approved the implementation of the so-called forestry cent this Thursday. The PSOE, for its part, had requested its withdrawal this week and voted against.
This measure will not apply to professional transport and both goods transport vehicles and public passenger transport vehicles will be exempt, as detailed by the Cabildo, which expects to raise up to 10 million euros per year, which will be entirely allocated to restoring degraded areas through native vegetation, preserving soils against erosion and enhancing wildfire prevention in higher-risk areas.
The proposal from the governing group, made up of CC and PP, did not receive support from Vox, which abstained, nor from the PSOE, which rejected it, as explained in the plenary by socialist spokesperson Aarón Afonso, who stated that it makes no sense to “punish” residents with this tax, while there is no ecotax established for non-residents staying in the island’s tourist establishments.
An “absolutely unjust” measure
For this reason, he continued, the PSOE is completely opposed and has presented a total amendment, which has been rejected, in which they criticise that CC and PP have decided that environmental policy should be paid for by residents and not tourists.
In their view, the forestry cent is an “absolutely unjust” measure that will affect the pockets of citizens when filling the tanks of vehicles they would leave at home if it weren’t for the inadequate public transport and because they increasingly have to live further away from their workplace, hospitals, and schools due to rising housing prices, especially in the cities.
The president of the Cabildo of Tenerife, Rosa Dávila (CC), has stated that with the approval of the forestry cent, a “very powerful message” is being sent to the public: “The Cabildo will protect the forest and fight against climate change” in Tenerife, an island with a high percentage of wooded areas, population, and motorisation, where, she noted, public transport is free (thanks to contributions from the State).
In the same vein, the Vice President, Lope Afonso (PP), has supported this measure, which “does not stem from any whim” but rather from the proposal of a group of experts who consider it suitable for Tenerife.
The island’s Director of Finance, Juan Carlos Pérez, explained that this measure has a clear ecological purpose and serves to create a permanent fund to address forest protection policies against wildfires more effectively.
He specified that the annual investment for the actions planned based on the forestry cent is estimated at 30.5 million.
Furthermore, he rebuked the PSOE for voting against this initiative in Tenerife, while in Gran Canaria they support it with their approval today in the Government Council.
Also, the councillor for Natural Resources, Blanca Pérez, argued that those who pollute should pay, while stating that Tenerife suffers from an investment deficit in the territory, as the previous island government presided over by the PSOE was “stingy” with environmental policies and investment in protected areas.
Rejection of the tourist tax
The Cabildo of Tenerife (CC and PP) rejected last May a motion from the Socialist Group that aimed to implement a tourist ecotax on the island, a measure that Rosa Dávila, the president of the Corporation, was open to debating days before the demonstration on May 18 called against mass tourism and saturation on the islands, an attitude that even the corporation’s vice president, Lope Afonso (PP), in an interview with Mírame TV, described as an “opportunistic shift” by his government partner.
Ultimately, the proposal was defeated with votes against from CC, PP, and Vox, which the opposition characterised as “inconsistency, leaving the political opportunism of the island government group exposed,” while also accusing the Tenerife president of “lying to the public” by claiming she would support the ecotax for tourists, only to “immediately afterwards reject it in the plenary session of the Cabildo.”
In this way, both CC and PP have shifted their tax positions. Both parties have supported tax reductions, specifically of the IGIC, which was an electoral promise, but since the start of the legislature, they have put forward various arguments, described as “excuses” by the opposition, for not implementing this measure.
When announcing this new tax, Rosa Dávila stated that it is an “environmental, not revenue-generating” measure whose aim is to “penalise” the use of private vehicles, as “Tenerife has one of the highest motorisation rates in the world, with over 800 cars for every 1,000 inhabitants.”
For its part, the Socialist Group in Tenerife denounced at the time that this new tax “will fall directly on the families and workers of the island,” and reiterated criticisms of both parties’ changing stances, which “have systematically vetoed the implementation of an ecotax that would be paid exclusively by tourists.”
From the opposition in the Cabildo it was noted at the time that “protecting our territory and fighting against climate change is a priority for the PSOE of Tenerife, but the bill cannot fall solely on those of us who live in this paradise.” Tenerife received over six million tourists in 2024, with a population nearing one million. “If we really want a sustainable model, it must be fair and balanced, and those who enjoy the island for a few days must also contribute to caring for it,” concluded the general secretary.
