“Abandoned”, “forgotten” and “to the tail of the Canary Islands”. This is how the deputies of the Canarian Coalition qualify in the Regional parliament the consequences for the inhabitants of the Island of the budget project of the Autonomous Executive for 2022. Rosa Dávila, Cristina Valido, Socorro Beato and José Alberto Díaz-Estébanez break down these “grievances” with special incidence in the social sphere and in the “scarce o null investments »in socio-sanitary infrastructures, housing, education or health. In short, “the accounts for next year do not respond to the specific investment needs for the economic boost and reactivation that the Island needs at the moment.”
The deputy and secretary of Organization of CC, Rosa Davila, opens the turn of speeches and regrets that “the Government of Ángel Víctor Torres, which was not going to leave anyone behind, abandons Tenerife in its budgets.” It denounces that “there are no specific economic items for tourism promotion, the construction of public housing, energy saving, the promotion of renewable energies, cultural projects or the protection of the island’s historical and cultural heritage.” Dávila points out that “Tenerife is once again at the bottom in investment per inhabitant with only 185 euros.” He announces “the necessary amendments to place Tenerife where it deserves.”
Valora Dávila: «Tenerife has lost political, economic and social weight due to a clear lack of leadership». And he emphasizes: “The Canary Islands do not work if all the islands do not advance at the same speed, without sticks on the wheels, and Tenerife is left behind.”
Social politics.
Cristina Valido reveals “the brutal cut” of investments in social and health infrastructure to address “the serious problem” of dependency. He argues that the budget «decreased by 93%, going from 12.5 million to 883,101 euros, despite the agreement with the Cabildo. They had 50 million that have been lost due to the inability to execute them. It affects that “the necessary investment does not appear in Tenerife, where there are people who occupy hospital places.” Give a piece of information: “Last June, in Santa Cruz there were 50,000 applications for the Minimum Vital Income and as of today, on the Island there are less than 5,000 families that receive a PCI”. He exemplifies “the absolute lack of interest in Tenerife’s social problems in the Santa Cruz hostel, the only one in the province.” Remember that “in 2020 there was an item of 350,000 euros, after the pandemic they lowered it by 200,000 and by 2022 it does not even appear in the budgets.”
Roads and transportation.
Rosa Dávila criticizes “the absence of strategic structuring and cohesive projects of the territory that allow economic development in harmony with environmental protection and job creation. It raises “the lack of investment in roads”, as well as “the lack of management and diligence that has led to serious mobility problems in Tenerife, where traffic jams constitute the daily life of people who live or go to work.” The budget project, despite incorporating the items of the highway agreement for works already projected years ago “does not offer solutions to bottlenecks and black spots, nor does it contemplate realistic proposals for the communications of the green islands with Tenerife” , says Dávila. He points out: “Of course, it includes macro-studies on infrastructures that are rejected by a part of the Government.” He sees “ridiculous the departure to solve the serious problem of access to the port of Los Cristianos that goes from 200,000 to 50,000 euros.” And the one projected in Puerto de la Cruz “is not even mentioned.” This section concludes: «There is no commitment to strengthening public transport services or moving towards a more sustainable one such as rail; nothing is mentioned in the draft budget ”.
Living place.
Socorro Beato assures that “there is no specific item to alleviate the lack of public housing.” The nationalist deputy denounces that “by islands 11.6 million euros are dedicated to the construction of public housing, of which 0 goes to Tenerife.” Complaint: “More than 7,000 families seeking housing will not have an answer.”
Education and Health.
Díaz-Estébanez appeals to “Balance” between Islands before reeling off how the regional budget treats their areas. He also reflects: “Covid is the excuse for everything but something will have to be done.” In educational matters, “adequate financing of the University of La Laguna is not addressed, nor is there progress towards 5% of GDP in investment or in education from 0 to 3 years.” Sentence: “No progress has been made.” As for Health, he sums up: “In the regionalized investment, the one destined for health infrastructures is limited to the replacement in the large hospitals, which suffer serious deterioration, and the complete start-up of the Hospital del Sur is not addressed.”
Tourism and discharges.
Regarding investment in tourism “there is no specific policy,” says Dávila. He asserts that Promotur goes from 20.9 million in 2021 to 3.2 in 2022; a reduction of 84.7%. Regarding waste and dumping into the sea, he adds: “The Government of the Canary Islands does not plan on Tenerife, the island with the greatest problems due to population growth, no proposal to solve these problems.”
Dávila reflects to conclude: «The incapacity and lack of direction of the Canary Islands Government together with the loss of leadership in the Cabildo, which is neither there nor is it expected, it cannot be an excuse for not designing or having a proposal for a development model for the Canary Islands and our Island ». He warns: «This government has forgotten about Tenerife and has left its people behind. But we are not going to allow it because Tenerife exists ».
