Internal control and subsidies amid the pandemic
Five municipalities received funds from the Generalitat and councils to support covid-19 relief, but they did not use more than 20 percent of those funds in 2020. Alicante Town Hall reported a particularly high level of non-utilization at 40.6 percent. After the provincial capital, the municipalities with notable non-use include Elche at 23.9 percent, Torrevieja at 23.1 percent, Elda at 21.6 percent, and Castellón at 21.5 percent. This finding is one of the main complaints in the latest Comptes Syndicate report. The Comptes Syndicate reviewed subsidy and aid compliance for 2020, focusing on local organizations with populations over 50,000 and the three councils.
Auditors found several incompatibilities in the aid distribution. In total, 71.1 million euros were awarded. In the provincial example, Benidorm leads with 17 events funded, followed by Orihuela with 15, Alcoy and Elche with 11 each, Alicante with 9, San Vicente with 6, Torrevieja with 5, Diputación with 4, and Elda with 2. The audit report released this Thursday also reveals that not all city councils and municipal authorities have approved a strategic plan for subsidies or published calls and concessions in the National Subsidy Database and related transparency portals.
The renewal of Sindicatura de Comptes and regional governance
Regarding the files under review, the buyer noted thirteen important events. Thirteen city councils requested assistance for the self-employed and small businesses, which may partially overlap with the Generalitat aid for the self-employed. Specifically, 1,207 beneficiaries were identified who received 1.5 million in aid from municipal councils and 1.6 million from the Generalitat.
Internal control and oversight of reimbursements
Only four city councils have started the relevant reimbursement files. In other cases, possible duplications were communicated to the respective municipal councils and the labor institution coordinating the processing of reimbursements as the manager of Generalitat assistance.
The report also provides recommendations affecting the management of regional aid. Suggestions include evaluating the advisability of creating a special subsidy application to verify processing status for every file and leaving a record in each beneficiary file of the review. It also calls for sufficient staff to carry out financial control plans or the option to hire external audits within the management department.
A body awaiting renewal
The Sindicatura de Comptes remains awaiting renewal. Its three trustees Vicente Cucarella, Marcela Miró and Antonio Mira-Perceval have been serving in a temporary capacity since June 20, and several factors hinder renewal. The lack of agreement between PSPV and Compromís on the Ombudsman role held by Cucarella complicates matters, while the approaching May elections influence the timing as right-leaning parties prefer to wait for the electoral cycle.
Barceló questions Barcala and calls for clarity
The PSPV-PSOE candidate for Mayor of Alicante, Main Barcelon, asked the mayor to issue an urgent statement after it emerged that the City Council spent only 59.4 percent of the funds received from the Generalitat and the Provincial Council in 2020 to address the covid emergency. Barceló criticized the administration as lacking responsibility and called for a return of budget items aimed at aiding the population and key economic sectors during the health crisis, describing Barcala’s management as ineffective.