The PSOE of Lanzarote has denied the president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote and also president of the Water Consortium, Oswaldo Betancort, and has insisted that he has not informed the Consortium of "the real conditions of the assignment of the Canal Gestión contract".
The president of the Cabildo has not informed the Assembly of the Water Consortium of the content or conditions agreed upon to authorize the transfer of the concession to a new operator.
The Lanzarote PSOE has lamented that Oswaldo Betancort "once again lies regarding the assignment of the Canal Gestión contract and clarifies that, to this day, he has not informed the Water Consortium Assembly of the specific conditions under which the transfer of the concession to a new operator is intended to be authorized".
From the Socialist Party, it has been emphasized that "the content of the formal authorization or the eventual commitment to authorize such a transfer is completely unknown, as that information has not been conveyed to the Consortium, the competent body for the management of the integral water cycle in Lanzarote."This clarification comes after the PSOE made public, with official documentation from the Assembly of Madrid, relevant information about the process, specifically that the transfer does not imply the closure of the open legal and economic claims by Canal Gestión, a matter that was also not communicated to the Consortium," it added
Around 30 million euros in financial claims
The PSOE has also recalled that Canal Gestión "maintains economic claims close to 30 million euros, derived from alleged unauthorized tariff increases by the Consortium, which makes any attempt to authorize the assignment of the contract without first closing that procedure a serious imprudence," it added. "Authorizing a transfer under these conditions means assuming an unacceptable legal and economic risk for Lanzarote," they warn.
In this context, the socialists recall that it is not the first time that a lack of rigor in water management has had serious consequences for the island. The crisis that led Inalsa to bankruptcy proceedings was caused precisely by a court ruling within the framework of the UTE EDAM Janubio proceedings, in which Coalición Canaria, at the head of the public company, neglected its right to defense, with the known consequences for public coffers.
Necessary clarifications on fees
From the PSOE, they have considered it essential to clarify some points that are being used for self-serving purposes to confuse citizens. "The tariff increases corresponding to the years 2017 and 2018 were approved by the Water Consortium, but their implementation was suspended by the Pricing Commission at the request of Echedey Eugenio, then president of the entity, with the aim of preventing the increase from coinciding with an electoral period," the political party has stated.
During María Dolores Corujo's term, the Consortium transparently adopted the agreement not to pass on the tariff increase to citizens in the midst of the economic crisis caused by covid-19, with the Consortium itself assuming the extra cost. “Not a single euro was gifted to Canal Gestión; a prior agreement was fulfilled, accepted even by those who today try to rewrite history,” they emphasize.
The Lanzarote PSOE has insisted that an essential service cannot be managed with opacity, improvisation, or misrepresentation, and demands that Oswaldo Betancort provide the Water Consortium with accurate information, tell the truth about the terms of the transfer, and act with the responsibility that such a significant matter requires
