The spokesperson for the Socialist Group in the Cabildo of Lanzarote and deputy secretary of the island's PSOE has accused Oswaldo Betancort of "lying" with the 'Plan of urgent measures in the area of water', in the press conference held by the party on the occasion of the first hundred days of the new island government.
The councilor explained that the Socialist Group has had "access to the files" and that "there is not a single report, nor a single proposal from the technicians of the Consortium or the Council endorsing the implementation of that plan, nor is there any request from any city council. The only thing there is is a document from Canal Gestión proposing that these works be carried out".
González recalled that when the award was made to Canal Gestión, one of the obligations acquired by the company was to "invest 50 million euros in the plants and in the distribution network", to "reduce losses in the network and guarantee production capacity".
"Now, ten years later, we find that losses have increased from 38 to 56% and that production has decreased by ten thousand cubic meters, as two racks of the Lanzarote III plant are out of service, despite the fact that Canal Gestión announced that it had invested "four and a half million in the renovation of the desalination plant", she explained.
For González, it is "intolerable" that, given the plant's breakdown, Betancort chooses to invest "9.5 million euros of public money" in its replacement instead of "demanding that Canal comply with the contract and fix it".
"They tell us that it is much better to replace it than to change it, but the question is, better for whom? Better for Canal Gestión, which saves the repair and receives, at the expense of public money, a new plant", González reproached.
"Better for Canal Gestión, which saves the repair and receives, at the expense of public money, a new plant"
"The same happens with the distribution networks, their maintenance is the responsibility of Canal Gestión. However, Oswaldo explains to us that since there are many breakdowns, it is better to change the pipes and that he will invest more than fifty-eight million euros in that change", explained the councilor.
"The question is the same, better for whom? and the answer is also the same, better for them, who save the maintenance costs, which sees the losses decrease, which increases their income, but the families and companies of Lanzarote will continue to pay the same for the water", she detailed.
The socialist spokesperson considered "intolerable" the intention expressed by Betancort to, in addition, "entrust the execution of the works to Canal Gestión": "Instead of putting the works out to tender, and trying to obtain the best offer, he wants to entrust them to the company at the prices they say and, in addition, as this seems little to him, he intends to pay Canal Gestión a surcharge of ten percent in management expenses".
To conclude, González reproached the president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote for his "constant lies" about the alleged "absence of investments" during the mandate of Loli Corujo, recalling the "enormous effort" made by the previous government group in the great pending issue, the "purification, and in transport and storage infrastructures".
"Between the agreements with AQUAES for the new treatment plants of Arrecife, Tías and Playa Blanca, the pumping stations, the repair of tanks, the new North line and the expansion of the West line, the Corujo government executed and committed more than sixty million euros in works that corresponded to the Consortium, Oswaldo wants to invest 68 million in works that correspond to Canal Gestión and without even having a financial file, that is the difference", concluded the socialist spokesperson.