The plenary session of the island institution has approved the incorporation of 51.2 million euros from the remaining funds to this year’s budget.

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The building of the Hermanitas de los Pobres

The Consell de Mallorca will earmark 9 million euros from surplus funds for the purchase of the building of the Hermanitas de los Pobres (Little Sisters of the Poor). This is a historic building in the city of Palma, which will be taken over by the public administration and will be used for social purposes, as explained by the Minister of Finance and Public Administration, Rafel Bosch, during the plenary session of the island institution. Bosch stressed that this is the largest investment of those planned, with the incorporation of 51.2 million euros of the remaining funds into this year’s budget, continuing with the commitment to social and municipal policies promoted during this term of office.

The plenary session of the Consell de Mallorca approved with the votes in favour of the Popular Group and Vox (17), four votes against from the MÉS per Mallorca Group, and the abstentions of the Socialist Group and El Pi (11) the extraordinary modification of the 2024 budget to activate 51.2 million euros of residual cash. During the debate, the Minister of Finance and Public Function, Rafel Bosch, explained that this injection is in addition to the 646 million euros of this year’s accounts and that, therefore, the institution will have 697 million euros in total to deploy public policies and investments to citizens. The Councillor of Finance and Public Function has assured that social investments and investments to the people, which represent 60% of the total, will be increased. In this sense, Bosch said that “our priority is people and, for this reason, they are at the centre of our policies”.

On the other hand, the Minister of Finance and Public Function has detailed that not all of the remaining funds, which amount to 104 million euros between the Consell de Mallorca and the autonomous bodies, have been incorporated due to a principle of prudence given the uncertainty as to whether or not the central government will apply the fiscal rules.

Social investments and investments in the municipalities increase

In the area of Social Welfare, 9 million euros will be invested in the purchase of the Hermanitas de los Pobres building and 1.5 million euros to acquire the Llar de Manacor, which will be used to care for the elderly in the municipality.

The Department of the Presidency will have an additional one million euros at its disposal. 190,000 euros will be allocated to help women who are victims of gender violence. An additional 165,000 euros will also be allocated to youth programmes, to build a more inclusive and participatory society, and 75,000 euros for socio-cultural activities for the elderly.

Likewise, of the 51.2 million euros of surplus, 12.1 million euros will be allocated to the Department of Economic Promotion and Local Development, in a clear commitment to municipalism. Of these, 5 million euros will be allocated to a new call for subsidies for local councils to improve water cycle infrastructures. Also, 3.3 million euros will be used to pay the aid for economic reactivation after COVID-19, corresponding to the years 2021-2022. Likewise, the payment of 2.5 million euros to Palma City Council for the year 2025 is brought forward for the Law of Capitality; 770,000 euros for the bonds for commerce and 500,000 euros so that the city councils can comply with the State Law on Animal Welfare.

For its part, the Department of the Environment, Rural Affairs and Sports is incorporating 7.1 million euros. Of these, 6 million euros will go to the island’s municipalities, so that they can renovate or build sports facilities. In addition, one million euros will be allocated to the Alaró Town Council to rehabilitate the Almadrà access road to the Tossals Verds refuge. 100,000 euros will also be invested in the management of boats in the Parque Natural de sa Dragonera.

The Department of Culture and Heritage will receive 907,000 euros of the remaining funds. Of this, 500,000 euros will go to the Fundación Teatro Principal and 200,000 euros to organise cultural activities.

Tourism will have 372,000 euros, which will be distributed as follows: 350,000 euros for the Insular Directorate of Tourism for Governance and Sustainability to organise forums in the municipalities of Mallorca and 14,000 euros to pay the staff in charge of initiating and resolving the sanctioning proceedings against the Calvià Town Hall for the Decree Law against excessive tourism.

Modernisation of infrastructures

The Department of Territory, Mobility and Infrastructures is incorporating 18.8 million euros from the remaining funds. “A necessary amount”, according to the councillor Rafel Bosch, since, he pointed out, “it has been an area that has been underfunded in recent years”. Most of the funds will be earmarked for the rehabilitation of Mallorca’s road network.

The area of Finance and Public Function will have 200,000 euros available for various actions in the fire stations to improve energy efficiency.