Scenarios. We were learning that there are scenarios without being any the wiser as to what these might be in reality. So much will depend on how the pandemic pans out.
There were some mixed scenario messages. Health experts, the Spanish finance minister told us, will decide on the different scenarios, while adding that there will be some return to normal life after the latest extension to the state of alarm ends in two weeks' time. These were "de-escalation" scenarios, which was another way of referring to "staggered reactivation", which was how the transport minister put it.
María Jesús Montero, the finance minister, had seemingly jumped the gun. The health minister, Salvador Illa, insisted that his ministry's experts still needed information in order to draw up scenarios (for de-escalation). The transport minister, José Luis Ábalos, stressed that there was "no date for a return to normality". In Congress, Prime Minister Sánchez made clear that he expects to be returning in a fortnight's time for ratification of a further extension to the state of alarm. Perhaps by then some scenarios will have become clearer; or there will be more scenarios.
Relaxation or not?
In the Balearics, the spokesperson for the coronavirus management committee, Dr. Javier Arranz, suggested that there might be a relaxation of measures in the Balearics (and the Canaries) before other regions. This would be because "the island regions are in a better position to act as a laboratory". "It would be a good option to start lowering the measures, as the rest of the country could see how this works and what the results are." There was some talk from the Spanish government that there might be different approaches in different regions, then there was talk that there wouldn't necessarily be. The scenarios will determine everything.
Tourism? What tourism?
The tourism ministry had its own scenarios, even if these weren't far removed - if at all - from those of the health and transport ministries. The minister, Reyes Maroto, said little of any consequence. National tourism will be the first to recover, she observed. Yes, we have heard this before, and we have also heard that the Balearics will benefit the least because of the need to fly.
It was left to "sources" to set out the scenarios rather more clearly. Total or partial closure of ports and airports through the summer. No foreign tourism, or not until the autumn maybe. Meanwhile, and as if we hadn't heard this before either, Majorca's hoteliers were talking about the number of hotels that will stay closed all season - at least a half. There were yet more scenarios. Some hotel groups will opt to keep all their establishments closed. Others will have some open and allocate tourists accordingly. But when? July possibly. Or September.
Tax help for hotels
Hoteliers in Playa de Palma were pleading with Palma and Llucmajor town halls to exempt them from all manner of taxes and charges. "It doesn't make sense to tax us when all our hotels are closed". The town halls "are pushing us towards an unprecedented financial collapse". Palma, at any rate, paid little heed, but it was pointed out that hotels with terraces on the public way would not have to pay the terrace tax. This was not quite what the hoteliers had in mind, and nor did the restaurant and bar owners. Yes, they were grateful to the town hall for waiving the terrace tax, but they - like the hoteliers - had wanted a heck of a lot more.
Speeding up permissions
Palma town hall was otherwise explaining, with some pride, that it had approved sixty-nine building licences. Neus Truyol, councillor for the model of the city, decent housing and sustainability, said that this showed that the planning department was functioning with "normality", a situation that builders and developers have frequently suggested (and nothing to do with crisis) isn't the case.
In a different report it was observed that town halls are doing their best to speed up the permissions' processes. The reason for this is that the granting of licences provides town halls with revenue, and right now they can do with getting hold of every euro they possibly can.
4 comments
To be able to write a comment, you have to be registered and logged in
Stan, don't you get it? Hotels require roughly about 55% occupancy levels at normal room rates to break even. With no flights and no demand, they wouldn't get anywhere near that. Are you asking for hotels to open and lose money as some sort of public service? They would all go bust. That is why it makes economic sense to mothball the hotels and start again next summer.
Hoteliers in Mallorca CONTROL the Island and its economy. Should they choose to close, then Mallorca will go into a serious state of unemployment and recession.
Why make a stressful situation worse by giving contradictory messages? Politicians should consult, and put across a unified message. Why not decide on one person as the spokesperson . Creating confusion leads to more frustration, more stress and potentially explosive scenarios.
Government of Palma needs to immediately furlough many top heavy employees who are siphoning off the tax money of hard working people and all contraction licenses need to be stopped and rescinded. There should be no contraction during the COVID-19 crisis, as being greedy and unthoughtful will only prolong the COVID-19 crisis. All hotels and small businesses should immediately be allowed not to pay taxes until this COVID-19 may someday end, which most likely will not be in 2020.Peoplel should be put to work in farming and selling food and goods. There is no longer any need for stupid Lawyers who do no work for society and just push a pen and talk. One can now see that when times were really good the government of Palma went overboard and gave Illegal immigrants all kinds of taxpayer benefits and now all this abuse and waste of taxpayer hard earned money is coming home to roost. Today we can see what professions are valuable and which are not. Housing prices will fall down to the lowest prices in many decades. rents need to be frozen for at least 6 months.