City budget comes under fire from opposition

ANTONI Roig, the socialist spokesman on the Palma city council, complained yesterday that the budget for next year only includes the sum of 30 million euros to compensate the cost of being the capital of the region, and not the 100 million euros which had been agreed between Balearic government leader Jaume Matas and Mayor Catalina Cirer. He claimed that the agreement covered 100 million euros from the government for investment in amenities, to which 30 million euros was later added to compensate for the cost of being the capital. Roig also claimed that the budget will not solve Palma's social problems as the funds destined to solve the conflict of Son Banya have vanished from the social policy department; in education, families with children in secondary modern schools still have to buy their books, while the housing department has the same budget as in previous years. Further criticism was aimed at the cultural centres which were opened in many areas and which have had to close through lack of activities. Citizen security problems continue, while the tourism department has failed to justify the creation of a Municipal Institute of Tourism. The municipal tax collection service also came under fire: improvements in the amount collected only show how badly this area was managed in the past, he said. The budget will be debated by the council next month.