The new Consell deposited the Generalitat’s draft budget for 2024, reaching 29 billion 372 million euros, an increase of 4.5% compared to 2023, to the Cortes this Monday, a day in advance. The initial calculations of the PP and Vox Managers are fueled by the expected revenue increase from the State financing system and the tax collection forecast for 2023 is estimated to be 1,000 million above, despite the currently encouraged tax cuts. Certainly. Consell did not disclose the regionalized investment in the province of Alicante this Monday, which led PSPV-PSOE to accuse them of withholding information and not complying with the principles of transparency.
PSPV criticized the fact that PP and Vox did not disclose data on their investments in Alicante on the day they presented the Budget Bill. In this context, they reminded that when the Generalitat’s latest calculations of Botànic were announced last year, it was known that 610 million were injected into the state. Former councilor Ana Barceló, spokesperson of the socialist municipal group in Alicante, accused the popular Carlos Mazón, head of the Generalitat, of “hiding investments” in the province. “All that is known is that the calculations include cuts in key areas,” the former socialist spokesman in the Cortes added.
In this sense, it is worth remembering the tasks that Consell has pending in Alicante, ranging from new TRAM lines to the construction or improvement of schools and hospitals, including after the transfer of Júcar-Vinalopó. water can reach all irrigations. Mazón’s autonomous government faced a long list of projects pending in the province inherited from Botànic, mainly affecting the Infrastructure, Education and Health departments.
Complaint
Socialist criticism has largely focused on the fact that Ximo Puig’s Consell injected $610 million into the province last year, recouping the damage to State accounts that left Alicante once again in the throes of investment. It was noted that the regionalized investment from Botànic to Alicante was the largest in history, accounting for 40% of the global amount allocated to the entire Valencian Community. There was a response to these arguments from Consell, as the socialist Government was accused of adding fictitious revenue to their budgets, of minimally implementing what was announced, and of barely obtaining resources through funds from Europe.
State President Toni Pérez, from popular circles, also came forward to share his thoughts on the budgets announced by Consell. Highlighting the more than 8.5 billion that the Mazón Administration has devoted to public health, the president of the Alicante Provincial Council also said: “Despite the toxic legacy of Botànic, they are focusing on the things that really matter to the people of Alicante.” “We are pleased because the problems of the people of Alicante are starting to be addressed after eight years of inaction in the Valencian Government and with the central government focusing more on Puigdemont than on regional financing,” Toni Pérez added.
Turning to the budgets announced by Consell on Monday, accounts increased by 1,300 million in absolute terms compared to Botànic’s last budgets, but actual expenditure (the total amount excluding debt servicing) increased significantly less, at 2.3 per cent. The increase is more moderate because a significant part of the money goes directly to covering the maturity and interest of liabilities and will not have a direct impact on the citizens. Still, the real expenditure of 22 billion 670 million exceeds the figure predicted by the left for 2023 by 500 million. 18 billion 432 million of the total is allocated to social expenditures; nearly 400 million more, according to official calculations, up 2.1%.
At the press conference, Treasury Spokesperson and Head of Treasury Ruth Merino drew attention to the difficulties created by the inheritance from Botànic in terms of debt and deficit and the lack of information provided by the central government regarding the financing for the preparation of these accounts. .
According to Merinos, while the interest payment on the debt will increase by 28 percent in 2023, it will increase by 112 percent next year, from 412 million to 870 million. In addition to maturities, the Generalitat will allocate $7 billion 948 million to its liabilities this year. The personnel department is also necessarily increasing spending, rising from 8.123 million to over 8,800, largely due to salary increases agreed at the state level.
In terms of revenue, since it is not known how much the state will pay for the regional financing system, Consell relies on the tax office’s estimates and predicts a revenue of 15.5 billion.