For some years now, the State has been subsidizing water desalination in the Canary Islands, so that the price differential that existed in the islands where there has been no water for some time with respect to the sweet peninsula was corrected. And so, annually the Community receives around 14 million euros for this purpose, of which about 3 million correspond to Lanzarote.
Given the possibility that these aids to the Archipelago will be canceled by the central Government, Mario Pérez, CEO of Insular de Aguas de Lanzarote (Inalsa), has recently traveled to Madrid, where he has defended the need for the subsidy for the whole of the Islands, in order to sustain the rates for water consumption and not endanger the level of welfare of the Canarians.
The water subsidy, fundamental in the islands
Mario Pérez said this morning on the Buenos Días program, Lanzarote of the dean station of the Island that in the capital of the country it was explained that if the subsidy was withdrawn, "one of the principles of the Economic and Fiscal Regime of the Canary Islands would be broken (REF), according to which, in the Community the State must modulate and subsidize" the management of basic goods, such as water. In this sense, the nationalist councilor explained that "the efforts that have been made in Madrid are to explain that water is fundamental for the Islands".
The subsidy used to be granted to the Canary Islands between the end of October and the beginning of November. This has happened every year until now. But as Pérez said, "this year it has not yet been released and hence our concern. What we want is that no more time passes and that we can count on the subsidy".
For Lanzarote it would be a real tragedy, both for consumers, as for businesses, and of course, for the countryside. As Pérez revealed, "we would find ourselves in a complicated situation that we do not even want to consider as a possibility". This difficult situation would leave no option but to raise the price of water.
Permanent Committee of CC
Last Saturday the Permanent Committee of the Canarian Coalition was held, a regional body, where the possible electoral reform agreed by socialists and populars was mainly discussed. The Commission has concluded, according to its president in Lanzarote, that the nationalist formation will manifest "clearly" in the Presentation of the Statute of Autonomy "its rejection of the regional list" and the defense of the "maintenance of the current status".
Thus, the Commission approved a position that automatically rejects the alternative proposal that CC made in its day on the creation of a regional list of 9 deputies, which would also alter the triple parity, although to a lesser extent. Yesterday Pérez assured that the maintenance of the 60 seats "will be the position that the Canarian Coalition will defend in the Presentation". "We have always disagreed from the smaller islands on the list of 69 deputies, but what we have adopted on Saturday is now valid for all the islands".
Pérez also referred to the role of the PP and PSC. "We hope that both the Popular Party and the Socialist Party will reconsider a position that is generating not only internal conflicts in the parties, but also distrust and suspicion in an autonomous community that needs trust, balance, consensus, solidarity, and of course what it does not need are experimental initiatives in the context of the Spanish State". The councilor added that "the reasons that are put forward to make the reform are far-fetched and smell more of strictly personal ambitions, although they have no support, at least not in the smaller islands".
"Vital" importance of the Statute
The island president of the nationalists highlighted the "vital" importance that the approval of the Statute can mean for the Archipelago. "We are at an important moment for the new Statute to place the Canary Islands in the whole of the State and have the relations between the Community and the State perfectly articulated. But we also want to take the opportunity to articulate the internal relations between the islands, doing it wisely" taking as reference the "things that have united us during these 25 years of autonomy", so that "we know how to maintain them".
On the other hand, Pérez wanted to express his satisfaction for the prompt resolution of the small political shake-up that threatened the stability of the Socialist Party on the Island by asking for the resignation of the position of Secretary General in Lanzarote Manuel Fajardo, who yesterday assured that he will remain in the position in order not to create more problems for the progressive formation. "It is a satisfaction that an episode like this is closed because we have the need to have strong and consolidated political formations".
