Mallorca tourism row: Costa mocks minister over airports
In Palma, Mallorca, Spain, a row over airport cuts and tourist accommodation licences turns personal on Tuesday: Balearic economy minister Antoni Costa tells Socialist MPs that Spain’s transport minister, Óscar Puente, is making a fool of himself.
Puente had accused the Balearic government of hypocrisy for seeking cuts to airport operations while tourist accommodation licences are being granted. Costa asks the Socialists whether anyone has told Puente to stop embarrassing himself in the Balearics.
Tourist places and taxes
Costa says 115,000 tourist places were authorised during the previous two parliamentary terms. His government, he says, has set zero growth in tourist places. He accuses the Socialists of cynicism and hypocrisy.
Socialist MP Àlex Pitaluga challenges Costa over two taxes the government has not introduced: an increase in the Sustainable Tourism Tax and a tax on hire cars. Costa says the tourism tax rise was included in a decree to curb tourism, which the Socialists voted against. He says they also failed to attend the Sustainability Pact when it discussed the proposal.
The cost of getting by
MÉS per Mallorca MP Marta Carrió shifts the debate to household bills. She says 40 per cent of people cannot make ends meet and asks what the government has done about it.
Costa points to tax measures, free education for children aged up to three, childcare support and aid to ease the economic effects of the conflict in Iran. Carrió responds that people are still paying steep rents and facing bills at supermarkets and petrol stations.
Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com