Today the mayors of the towns affected by the fire that started in the Vall d'Ebo met with the president of the Alicante Provincial Council, Carlos Mazón. Some measures have been announced at the meeting in which the administration will be directly involved.
Fiscal benefits
Mazón has assured that for the revitalization, the Diputación has already made available to the 15 affected municipalities a package of rapid and close aid. In the first place, with regard to the fiscal part, from the Department of Tax Management of the Diputación, postponements have been announced for the payment of Municipal Taxes and Fees and have enabled subdivisions and special advantages for the almost 15.000 people affected.
In this regard, the president of the Provincial Council has made a direct reference to the Generalitat so that the tax benefits are extended to the powers of the regional administration. For example, in the regional section of personal income tax or in compensation for the self-employed who may be affected.
Support for tourism promotion
Secondly, the Provincial Council has placed special emphasis on the need to promote inland tourism. For this reason, from the Tourist Board, for the remainder of the year 2022 and for 2023, a specific and extraordinary 1 million euros will be allocated for the promotion of the different municipalities of the two regions. "With concrete plans for its promotional recovery, for attracting visitors, for expenses in this matter and for environmental tourism", Mazón affirmed.
It would be a tourist reactivation package that will benefit SMEs and self-employed people in the area. In addition to the increase in the percentages of aid to municipalities at risk of depopulation, which are the vast majority of those affected.
Restoration of roads and provincial roads
On the other hand, Mazón has announced that between 700.000 and one million extraordinary euros will be allocated for the comprehensive plan for the restoration of provincial roads and highways. "Not only roads have been damaged by the fire but by all the water used to extinguish the flames," he added. This plan will be based on the adaptation, rehabilitation and modernization of the roads that connect the municipalities with each other and with the provincial highways.
Environmental report available to the Generalitat
Despite not having direct powers in environmental matters, "we have already set up all the technicians to assess the damage and prepare an assessment report available to the Generalitat when carrying out the necessary forest regeneration". In this way, apart from the regional offices to speed up the recovery procedures, the Provincial Council also plans to install a technical office to support the projects that the municipalities have to carry out.
Finally, the president of the Diputación has valued: "I think it is important that we do not work in duplicate but from the sum of both administrations. I make myself available to the Generalitat with the best of wills to coordinate the administrative, technical and bureaucratic, to speed up the process. We have many months ahead in which we have to work together".
The meeting was also attended by the deputy for Emergencies and Depopulation and Demographic Challenge, Javier Sendra, the one for Roads, Alejandro Morant, the one for Infrastructure, Javier Gutiérrez, as well as the one for the Environment, Miguel Ángel Sánchez. The director of the Provincial Tourist Board, José Mancebo, has also participated in the work session convened this morning.
