The Minister of Universities of the Government of the Canary Islands, Migdalia Machín, has proclaimed this Monday that the two public universities will receive the largest allocation in history, although she has admitted that she is not "100% satisfied" with the accounts of her department.
Especially in Culture, which goes from 49 million euros to 40, although she is convinced that in the amendment period of the budgets of the Autonomous Community for 2024 these items will improve, and that is why she has asked the sector for "trust and tranquility" and not to stick with "the first photo".
The accounts of this newly created portfolio, which in addition to Universities includes the areas of Science, Innovation and Culture, amount to 413,727,000 euros, almost 20 million increase compared to 2023 (5%), the Minister stressed in parliamentary committee.
As for the amounts allocated for the two public universities, Machín stressed that they are "the highest in history", going from 270 to 278 million euros (+2.79%), although that increase "is probably not enough", she added, aware of the "debate generated" around this issue.
The rectors denounce that "in real terms" the increase is "a new cut"
Within that debate, the rectors of the University of La Laguna and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria recently denounced that, "in real terms", there is in the 2024 budgets "a new cut" in their spending capacity, since that increase of 2.7% of their financial resources is "insufficient even to cope with the salary increase established by the Government of Spain".
On the matter, the Minister has said that the amounts allocated are governed by a formula applied by the Treasury in the face of the 2% pay increase, which they have tried to calculate in her department, "and if it is" as the universities denounce "a technical amendment will be made and an attempt will be made to adjust it".
Migdalia Machín has highlighted the "prudence" of the budgets of her Ministry, in which "we have to start from scratch" in terms of the organic structure of the same.
