Carlos Mazón presented two core promises during the electoral campaign that would enable his leadership of the Generalitat. One pledge targets ending what he called fiscal hell in the Valencian Community, the other aims to simplify processes and streamline bureaucratic procedures to boost economic activity and reduce waiting times for citizens overall. A one year window was established at the Alicante Economy Night to gauge progress, and the Consell is actively pursuing it. On taxation, recent months have seen steps such as the abolition of Inheritance and Gift Tax, reduced rates on Property Transfers, and a series of Personal Income Tax cuts. Work has begun on a road map focused on digitalization and outsourcing. The autonomous government is also trying to accelerate procedures and improve coordination among departments by leveraging new technologies. This strategy is paired with agreements with professionals and legal entities that can contribute to achieving the same goals. always in line with the stated aims.
Mazón wanted the first full Council meeting held in Alicante to carry symbolism and serve as an early signal that tax reduction promises would be fulfilled, so the initiation of procedures was approved at that session. Abolition of Inheritance and Gift Tax would be followed by personal income tax relief for ophthalmology expenses, oral and mental health care, and sports activities. There would also be reduced rates and deductions on the Property Transfer Tax to help young people and women who are victims of gender-based violence purchase homes, as well as to support those with highly complex chronic diseases and conditions such as Alzheimer’s.
Once this process had begun, the question remained about the other commitment to streamline and simplify bureaucratic procedures. This is an ambitious and highly complex objective, with a one year deadline to demonstrate progress. The first formal step in this direction was taken last October with the creation of a special directorate general for Administrative Simplification, led by a telecommunications engineer Francisco Ortegai, who is already working to remove unnecessary steps and shorten processing times. The aim, as the President of the Generalitat has advocated, is to make matters such as starting a business, renovating a home, or simply interacting with the Administration easier for citizens.
The outlines of the road map are already taking shape and several measures are moving forward. The central pillar is the digitalization of various processes, a move meant to improve coordination and eliminate redundant procedures. This aligns with the Ministry of Innovation, Industry, Trade and Tourism, especially in cases that require cross department intervention such as issuing permits for photovoltaic installations, and it also requires reports from technicians in the Ministry of Environment, Water, Infrastructure and Territory.
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In fact, the department led by Nuria Montes has already launched a digital platform accessible via the internet where documents can be submitted and files tracked, with the goal of minimizing copy work. This mode of operation is intended to be extended to other departments.
The other pillar of the Simplifica Plan relies on outsourcing certain procedures. Negotiations are under way with professional associations and other legal entities to handle tasks that create bottlenecks in busy departments. The Ministries of Environment and Innovation are steering the rollout of these measures.
The regional government also indicated openness to increasing staffing in the most saturated departments to ensure smoother operations.
Supporting new legal frameworks
Consell’s plan for administrative simplification includes legislative actions beyond digitalization and outsourcing. The aim is to unify the currently scattered regulations into a single text to avoid duplicative procedures and enhance legal clarity.
An example is housing policy. Among the initiatives to accelerate apartment construction, the Administration plans to draft a new autonomous housing law that balances social and sectoral interests and consolidates all related rules into a single framework. The current housing legislation will be superseded by this updated statute.
Consell is also reviewing three decrees that were supported by Botànic in the region. The most significant is the Official Protected Housing regulation to influence pricing so that households with average incomes can access such properties, coupled with design and quality standards and trial and error regulation to facilitate construction activity and reduce service overload caused by bureaucratic complexity.
Source attribution: Valencian Government contemporary updates on administrative reform and fiscal policy. Further details are provided by official regional communications and policy briefings. Sources: Valencia regional authorities and coordination bodies. Source attribution for this summary: (Source: Valencian Government).