Improve citizen services and boost efficiency. These are the core goals of the strategic plan from Suma Gestión Tributaria, a framework carried into 2025 with a target to lift annual collection by around 2 percent, surpassing 800 million euros. The plan, unveiled at a ceremony at Santa Barbara Castle in Alicante, includes faster case resolution timelines and the introduction of new payment methods, marking the twenty-ninth anniversary of the organization. The initiative is led by Carlos Mazón, president of the Diputación, and aims to reduce the tax burden for both businesses and residents.
Staff from Suma offices across the state participated in the event, joined by María Gómez, deputy treasurer and vice president of the institution, as well as director Jose Antonio Belso. Also present were Ana Serna, second vice president of the Diputación; MPs Alejandro Morant and Javier Gutiérrez; and Luis Barcala, mayor of Alicante.
Among the strategic objectives outlined in the plan are a voluntary collection rate exceeding 92 percent and an execution rate of about 35 percent, improving on current levels of roughly 91.5 percent and 30.3 percent, respectively. The plan also targets reducing annual managerial costs by fifty thousand euros. It seeks to shorten the average time to resolve cases to ten days and to raise revenue from agreements with autonomous bodies from the current 4.5 percent of the budget to 7 percent.
To achieve these aims, the plan calls for redesigning human resources policies, evaluating the information system, and updating the branch network. It also emphasizes simplifying procedures, reducing absenteeism, and introducing new payment instruments to improve taxpayer service. The director of Suma notes that these steps respond to towns facing liquidity shortages and stress the importance of maintaining close proximity to taxpayers.
As these measures roll out gradually, some benefits are expected to be visible within the year. Belso notes that the overall collection is projected to rise by about 2 percent, enabling the organization to exceed 800 million euros. He adds that the increase will come first from voluntary payments such as vehicle taxes and local waste charges, with the property tax adjustment representing a larger, forthcoming impact.
Historical record shows Suma and the Tax Office navigating through the pandemic era, highlighting resilience in tax administration and revenue collection. Carlos Mazón reiterates a commitment to reducing the tax burden on both companies and residents, while underscoring the organization’s aim to remain a reference public institution for tax administration and collection at the national level for its efficiency and transparency. A notable measure includes reducing the provincial surcharge on economic activities to 5 percent, compared with higher rates in neighboring councils.
During the event, recognition was given for outstanding service. The annual Golden Total award was presented to José Luis Almarcha, director of the Onil office, and Isabel Escolano, head of the IT area of the agency, in acknowledgment of their contributions to Suma’s mission.