The Popular Party defends the management carried out by the Arrecife City Council in relation to the emergency aid granted through the Department of Social Services during the pandemic era and thanks to which "thousands of families in the capital" were able to move forward in an "enormously delicate economic moment."
From the City Council, they emphasize that the "greatest economic effort" in the history of the city was made during the past term, establishing different lines of aid" aimed at the most vulnerable people and families. Aid for which there is an established administrative procedure and purely technical concession criteria that the council and Social Services strictly complied with, contrary to some of the statements that are being made these days in which the correct procedure of the Area's workers and municipal officials is "questioned."
The Popular Party shows "total respect and support for the Social Services personnel of the Arrecife City Council, their work, involvement, and the professionalism demonstrated in the COVID and post-pandemic era because, thanks to their effort and involvement, the more than 2,000 applications that were processed could be carried out and that, in their immense majority, have been duly justified by the beneficiaries as required by law."
The Popular Party "does not agree that the professionalism of the public employees" of Social Services is being questioned, who "worked morning, afternoon, and night on the front line so that the basic needs of the citizens of Arrecife were covered during the pandemic."
They also add "that the aid that was granted was with the council's own funds" and that, like any other aid that is financed with public funds, it must "be justified"; an obligation that all beneficiaries knew because the technicians informed them and it is also stated in the concession decree that each user receives. Therefore, it cannot be stated that the City Council "did something wrong or improper," on the contrary, "the administrative procedure was complied with and continues to be complied with" stipulated by the regulations and that remains open. At this moment, it is about communicating to the beneficiaries who have not done so, their "obligation" to provide the receipts and invoices in order to avoid a future refund.
The PP emphasizes that the fact that the beneficiaries "have not justified the amounts received in any case was due to negligence of the previous government that acted correctly," under technical criteria and with transparency.
The intervention of the Canary Islands Court of Auditors is part of its external audit activity of the "economic, financial, and accounting management" of the public sector and its decision to randomly carry out the audit of the year 2020 on the aid granted by municipalities of "more than 50,000 inhabitants," with Arrecife being among them.
