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This year Social Services will have more than 17 million euros to face the serious consequences of the current health crisis, as announced this morning by the mayor, Ana Belén Castejón, and the councilor for Finance, Esperanza Nieto, after the meeting of Extraordinary spokesmen in which they have delivered to the opposition groups the draft of the Municipal Budget for 2020, something that has never been done before.

Among the special measures adopted is also the postponement of the payment of the vehicle tax and other tax reductions, while the declaration of the State of Alarm lasts.

"We are in an extraordinary situation and we are going to mobilize the largest budget in social policies in the history of Cartagena to help the most disadvantaged groups and the largest in the decade in investments to encourage the recovery of the economy.

In addition, we want it to be a consensus document because in this situation the people of Cartagena ask us to agree and act together to find solutions.

That is why we deliver the draft budget, so that they can make contributions to us, â€�explained Ana Belén Castejón.

Thanks to Royal Decree-Law 8/2020, the surplus of the City Council can be used for social policy, so that the items destined for this purpose, between the surplus and the budget, reach 17 million euros, representing growth close to three million euros compared to 2019.

"The draft budget that we had prepared allocated 14.3 million to Social Services, which represented an increase of 1.2 million compared to 2019. With the new modifications and the use of the surplus, Social Services will have 17 million euros â€�, Explained Castejón.

By transferring part of the Social Services budget to the Surplus, the groups will be able to dispose of their items in a more agile way since they will not be subject to competitive competition and will be delivered as soon as the surplus is processed, which will be made simultaneously with the budget.

In addition, the City Council will have 500,000 euros for rental aid to people affected by the crisis;

400,000 euros to increase the Social Assistance item;

and 420,000 euros for accommodation for vulnerable groups, among other items intended to help those who have the least.

Likewise, the Budget will be provided with a contingency fund that is six times that of the year 2019 and that can be expanded to help merchants, hoteliers and the self-employed.

THE LARGEST INVESTMENTS OF THE DECADE

In addition, the budget proposes the largest investments of the decade, with 16 million euros for public works with the aim that, when the health crisis passes, the City Council becomes the economic boost that companies and freelancers need to revitalize the fabric productive that is suffering so much right now.

Investments will be centralized in the Mar Menor, since there the environmental crisis joins;

and in the historic center;

with the aim of recovering the tourism and hospitality sector;

It will also be invested in hydraulic works to prevent flooding.

For its part, the Councilor for Finance, Esperanza Nieto, has announced incentives and fiscal aid for the self-employed, SMEs and families, including the extension of the term of payment of vehicle tax until 15 days after the end of the state of alarm, as it has established a side signed today by the mayor ..

In this sense, Nieto explained that the days included in the state of alarm have been declared unfit for calculating the quota of fees to be paid for tables and chairs;

Street markets;

kiosks (unauthorized opening);

nursery schools;

and barracks, which will be prorated from the annual amount and deducted from the fee.

The mayor ended by thanking the support of the opposition groups;

health personnel;

supermarket workers;

carriers

farmers;

artists;

workers who have become unemployed;

freelancers and small entrepreneurs;

contract employees;

police

firefighters;

members of Civil Protection;

municipal workers;

and military personnel, as well as the elderly and all citizens in general who with their attitude and responsibility are helping to slow down the spread of the virus.

Source: Ayuntamiento de Cartagena