The Generalitat closed 2022 with a negative equity economic result of 3,206 million euros, compared to -1,200 million the previous year, and a debt (financial liabilities) of 9,419 million, mostly due to refinancing operations of the Fund’s maturities of Autonomous Liquidity (FLA).
The plenary session of the Consell has approved this Thursday the General Account of 2022, of which the acting Minister of Finance, Arcadi Spain, has indicated at a press conference that it represents “a milestone” in terms of social spending, which last year 16,829 million euros were allocated, the “largest figure in the history of the Generalitat”.
The “compensation” of this commitment to social investment, he pointed out, is that, in the absence of a reform of the financing model, it has made it necessary to look for financing mechanisms that must be repaid, mainly the FLA of the Government of Spain, and the level of debt has increased so much.
But the alternative was to add “cuts” to the increase in debt, explained Spain, who has detailed that in the last eight years the debt has grown by 38.3% and has gone from 40,000 million euros to 55,438, but It has consolidated the welfare state, and in the eight previous years it grew “250%”, from 11,419 million euros to 40,063 and there were also cuts.
He has pointed out about the negative figure between the income received and the expenses assumed, which has gone from -1,200 million in 2021 to -3,206 million last year, in line with the increase in the deficit of the Generalitat, due to the fact that the It is committed to helping families and companies while state contributions such as covid funds have disappeared.
However, he has highlighted that when the Botànic came to the Generalitat that economic result was -4,543 million euros, equivalent to 35% of the budget, while now it represents 15%, and he has insisted that the Administration “has no than give benefits.”
Of the 9,419 million euros of rights recognized in financial liabilities, 84.5% of these (7,959 million) were nourished by State financing mechanisms, such as the FLA and the React-EU-, while the 1,460 million The rest originate from long-term loans refinanced by Spanish banks.
Arcadi Spain has recommended to the future Consell PP-Vox that it continue on this “path” of “consolidation of the welfare state” and of “not lowering our guard” to maintain investments in health, education, social services, inclusive policies in the coming years. , employment or housing, to which in 2022 almost 9 out of 10 euros were allocated.
The 16,829 million allocated to fundamental public services represent 86.3% of non-financial obligations, which in total amount to 19,495 million, and reflect that in the last eight years “there has been a 180 degree turn in the priorities of the Generalitat” to guarantee Valencians social services comparable to the average, he said.
Investment in fundamental public services reaches 86.3% of non-financial spending, six points more than in 2014 (80.3%), and represents an increase of 5,362 million (47% more) compared to the last eight years. according to data from the Generalitat.
The deputy of the popular group in Les Corts Valencianes Rubén Ibáñez has affirmed that the General Account of the Generalitat corresponding to 2022, approved this Thursday by the plenary session of the acting Council, “certifies the disastrous management” of Ximo Puig and his Government.
In Ibáñez’s opinion, the result of the General Account “can be summed up in more taxes, more deficit and more debt, and with all this the impoverishment of all Valencians”
As he explained, the deficit increased by 3,206 million euros “and it is curious to see how from 2014 to 2022 the Generalitat’s budget increased 11,900 million euros, but of that increase only 45% was allocated to fundamental services: education, health and social policies”.
The rest of the money “we do not know where it has gone”, said Ibáñez in a statement, who has considered that Ximo Puig “must give explanations in this regard” and has highlighted that his Consell “collected 3,700 million more in taxes alone than in 2014 and 113% more in rates and public prices”.
