17/10/2013 00:00
TW
0
STAFF REPORTER

MAHON
PARTIDO Popular (PP) leader on the Council of Minorca, Juan Dominguez, has drafted a proposal to be submitted to Central Government requesting that airport taxes are not increased and that air fare discounts for Eurpean Union island residents remain unchanged.

Dominguez explained that next year's national budget includes a 10 percent increase in airport taxes in the Balearics to cover landing, security, services and the use of the public domain. The motion is to be discussed at the next Council of Minorca meeting.

Dominguez said: “Although Central Government's Minister for Public Works, Jose Blanco, has said that he won't now cut the residents' discount on inter-island flights and connections with the mainland after having considered doing so, it is clear that state subsidies for the Balearics for air travel are going to be 10 million euros less in 2011 than they were this year.” The PP leader emphasized what a major blow it would be to the Balearics, commercially and socially, were residents to be deprived of their air travel subsidy. It would disadvantage them considerably said Dominguez against mainland residents. He emphasized that the Statutes of the Balearic Islands recognises that the region has extra costs to bear by virtue of it being an island community, and that people have the right to be compensated for it.

Meanwhile the PP in the Balearics is going to be holding a series of open forums to discuss what changes would be most beneficial in the region in terms of education, tourism, the environment, health, the economy and employment. The outcome of such public exchanges of ideas is then going to be debated by the party and its advisors to develop its municipal election programme in readiness for May 2011.

Balearic PP leader, Jose Ramon Bauza explained that the open forums, which began yesterday, are open to anyone who wants to put forward ideas or draft proposals for change. “We're looking to put together an electoral programme that represents what people really want,” said Bauza.
The forums can be followed on the PP's website, www.ppbalears.es.