The Generalitat Valenciana has once again asked the Government to reform regional financing. It does so supported by the social agents, with whom this issue has been addressed in the second meeting of the legislature of the Social Dialogue Table, which has been chaired by the head of the Consell Carlos Mazón. The subsequent assessment, after Mazón left directly for La Vila-Joiosa, was made by the spokesperson and Minister of the Treasury, Ruth Merino, who indicated that “we can no longer do more. We have the union of all of us who are represented here; more political parties, we have the correct, rigorous data, the evidence… The only thing missing is for the Government of Spain and the Minister of Finance to take one more step.”
Merino has asked for the collaboration of ministers of the Spanish Government who “are Valencian and know him well”, in reference to Diana Morant, and also other socialists with a presence in the Sánchez Executive, such as Arcadi España, former Minister of Finance and now Secretary of State of Territorial Policy. “It’s as simple as getting to work on the issue, but you have to have a clear vision and forget about excuses,” said Merino.
At this Monday’s meeting, the report that the experts from the financing commission appointed by Les Corts had prepared on the equalization fund and the debt of the Valencian Community had been discussed with representatives of the employers’ association and the unions. Its manager, Francisco Pérez, who a few weeks ago presented the report to the Consell-Corts joint commission, has also attended.
Merino has made a new call to the Minister of Finance, María Jesús Montero, to abandon “the excuses” and “assume the responsibility that falls to her.” He has also regretted at this point that the ministerial official has not given any response to the new letter that was sent to him outlining the financing needs of the Valencian Community, on this occasion accompanied by the experts’ report on the temporary leveling fund. “Valencians have not received a response, once again, to a fair demand,” a request also supported by “rigorous” and “objective” data, she noted.
The CEV has also made assessments through its general director, Inmaculada García, who has highlighted that “all social agents have been demanding the reform of the financing system for a long time. The underfinancing and debt that we suffer mean that the Valencian Community can only dedicate 7% of its non-financial income to active employment policies and other policies to improve the competitiveness of our companies.”
After presenting to all the parliamentary groups the result of the work of the Valencian experts for the reform of regional financing, the Consell detailed this Monday to the social agents the conclusions of this report, in which a temporary leveling fund is requested for the entire legislature that would allow the Comunitat to be equal to the average of the autonomous communities in the coming years.
Specifically, this fund estimates at 1,782 million euros the average amount that the Valencian Community should receive each year to reach 99% of the average financing of the common regime autonomies. To this end, as Ruth Merino has recalled, the Valencian Government considers it essential that the Government of Spain incorporate this fund into the 2024 General State Budgets.
