Benidorm joins to the parenthesis aid of Resistir Plan, contributing around 790,000 euros

The plenary session of the Municipal Corporation has approved today in a telematic session the adherence to the so-called Resist Plan, which includes direct aid to sectors affected by the pandemic and to which Benidorm City Council will contribute about 790,000 euros. Unanimously, the plenary session has supported the local government's proposal, which has thus amended a motion by the socialist municipal group on aid plans for the Covid-19 crisis.

The deputy government spokesperson, Mónica Gómez, explained that according to the decree of the Generalitat Valanciana, within the 'Parenthesis Aids' program of the Resistir Plan, the City Council has to contribute 15% of the amount of aid planned for Benidorm, which exceeds 5 million euros. The rest of the contribution will be borne by the Generalitat itself and the Alicante Provincial Council. The deputy spokesperson stressed that "according to calculations made by the regional government, and based on the companies that meet certain requirements, Benidorm is the fifth city in the Valencian Community with the highest volume of business and establishments affected by the pandemic and the restrictive measures adopted to stop the advance of Covid-19, such as the perimeter closure of the region or the hotel industry ”.

Gómez has clarified that “apart from participating in this plan, Benidorm City Council plans to launch again a line of aid for companies, businesses, SMEs and freelancers, focused on reducing the economic effects that the pandemic has caused on the productive fabric premises with an initial investment already contemplated of 2.5 million euros ”.

Likewise, the deputy spokesperson has informed that the bases of the aid to families against Covid-19 are being finalized, for which another 2.5 million euros have been initially reserved within "an expandable item" and whose bases are addressed yesterday at the Board of Spokespersons after being handed over to opposition groups last Tuesday, the 26th.

With this plenary agreement, Benidorm is one of the first municipalities in the region to enable its adherence to Resiste Plan, which provides aid of 2,000 euros for each selfemployed worker or micro-company, with improvement sections of 200 euros per employee affiliated with Social Security as of December 31, 2020, and whose processing will be carried out by the Town Councils themselves.

By majority, the plenary session has approved the agreement between the City Council and the commercial Estación de Autobuses SL to regularize the construction and operation contract of the terminal in execution of a judgment of the Superior Court of Justice of the Valencian Community (TSJCV), which urges to tender the entire complex. The local government spokeswoman, Lourdes Caselles, recalled that this agreement has been drawn up "by the joint commission" in charge of the resolution of the contract by mutual agreement and in compliance with the plenary mandate of October 26.

Caselles stressed that "there are no technical objections to the agreement", which arises from the minutes of the joint committee itself, made up of technicians from the City Council and representatives of the concession company.

Broadly speaking, the agreement contemplates liquidating the bus station for a maximum amount of 24.5 million euros, an amount that will not involve any disbursement to the City Council and will be covered in the new tender, to be carried out within a maximum period of six months - with the possibility of adding an additional period of 3 months in case a second tender is required. According to the terms of the agreement, the current concessionaire will abandon the station and the areas for commercial and hotel use, leaving the facilities in perfect condition. To do this, Estación de Autobuses de Benidorm SL must carry out an interstate rehabilitation project of the complex that amounts to 287,141.07 euros. Likewise, the company will continue to provide service until the existence of a new concessionaire.

At the same session, by majority it was approved to initiate the ex officio review file of the urban agreement signed in April 2003 by the City Council with Antonio Manuel Puchades and other legal persons of a commercial nature in relation to the development of the APR-7 sector. The mayor of Town Planning, Lourdes Caselles, explained that "the technical reports" indicate that the formula for the ex officio revision of this agreement should be followed, "as was done in the full past with the one formalized with another company. With the beginning of this file, "the interested parties are given a hearing procedure, prior to requesting the opinion of the Legal Council (CJC)" in this regard.

Unanimously, the Corporation has endorsed the initiation of the procedure for awarding distinctions and decorations by the Generalitat Valenciana, in the form of public congratulations, for the Local Police agent Pedro José Moya Gisbert. The Councilor for Citizen Security, Lorenzo Martínez, explained that with this file they want to recognize the "especially meritorious service" provided by this agent, who on December 14 "and until the arrival of SAMU practiced resuscitation maneuvers on a baby who he was semi-conscious and had breathing difficulties ”. Martínez pointed out that this intervention reflects "the professionalism and good work" of the members of the Local Police Force.

With the same result, a motion of the municipal group of the PP has prospered, amended by PSOE and Cs, to adopt measures to lower the price of electricity and "thus avoid weighing down the household economy" at a time of crisis such as the current. The motion refers to the "historical rise in the price of electricity" registered up to two times during the last 'cold wave' and proposes different measures to lower the cost of this energy in Spain, the fifth highest in Europe in 2019.

Thus, the approved text claims "the tax rate that is applied to the production of electricity" from 7% to 0%, that "the regulatory costs" that are included in the bill to assume the deficit of the sector "are finance from the General State Budgets ”, and that the VAT tax rate be lowered to 4%, making it equal to that of other neighboring countries and to that applied to other basic supplies.

Opposition motions

Likewise, by majority, a motion by the municipal group Cs has been approved to urge the Council to protect the elderly and caregivers against Covid-19. The motion requests that the Valencian government provide protective equipment to all workers who care for the elderly, to implement protection measures for elderly in a situation of dependency who live outside of residences, to assimilate the vaccination schedule of nursing home staff to home care professionals, as well as to increase disinfection measures in residences and day centers. In addition, the Consell is required to carry out periodic diagnostic tests for Covid-19 both to residents and workers of nursing homes and day centers, and that residents can leave the facilities to receive medical attention in the municipalities that are located on alert level 3.