The vice-counselor of the Presidency of the Government of the Canary Islands, Antonio Olivera, explained yesterday afternoon that the project of the General State Budgets (PGE) for 2023, published by the Ministry of Finance and detailed in a press conference by its owner, María Jesús Montero , are, in a first reading, the best in history for the Archipelago by increasing their items by 14% compared to those of this year's bill, 2022, which had already become the most beneficial for the islands until that moment. The accounts foresee 9.687,6 million for the Islands, a figure unknown until now.
At a press conference after the Government Council held at the Presidency headquarters in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the Government spokesperson indicated that the 820,1 million of the nominated items of the 2022 Budget Law project for the Canary Islands now pass , pending the amendments in their parliamentary processing, to the total of 844,2 million, which represents 24,1 million more (2,9%).
At the Presidency headquarters of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Olivera explained that the new PGE Bill also provides for an additional billion in the financing system for 2023, from which a large part of the regional accounts are fed each year. Thus, the global amount rises to 6.519,6 million, 24% more, which will make it possible to reinforce regional spending on basic services, such as health, education, social rights or housing policies, "elements that fully affect to people's lives."
Olivera also considers it very relevant that the average investment per inhabitant in the Canary Islands reaches a figure very similar to the 2022 budget, when the Islands were already the fourth with the best record in the entire country (402,26 in the current year).
Although he insisted that this is a first analysis of the bill, he stressed that the non-nominated items that will benefit many Canary Islands must also be assessed. In this sense, he referred to the 500 million added by the revaluation of contributory and non-contributory pensions (an increase of 8,5%, according to the final CPI of 2022), “with which many Canary Islands will be able to compensate for the increase in the cost of the cost of living.”
He also highlighted the improvements in unemployment benefits for those who earn less, in the Minimum Living Income, scholarships or dependency. "They are very important items that are often forgotten because attention is focused only on the nominated ones, but they are also from the PGE and benefit the Canary Islands."
Increase in the economic and fiscal REF
Olivera referred to the economic REF figures, which reach 844 million, a 4,7% increase in the fiscal REF, up to 718,3 million (32,7 million more), since the Comprehensive Employment Plan of Canary Islands rise from 42 to 45 million.
Likewise, he highlighted the 400 million in direct investments and the effort made in ports, airports, water purification and service management, without forgetting the 210 million from the Highway Agreement and the 200 from the 2018 ruling for non-compliance with this agreement.
