Month: June 2012

Elimination of mancomunidades announced, first step towards reducing number of townhalls?

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The government has announced that it will table a bill to eliminate all mancomunidades across Spain. In brief, a mancomunidad is an association of townhalls which in theory gets the neighbouring mayors together to discuss issues and handle certain local services. In practice, they’re an outdated association left over from the Franco days (and long before that) which usually duplicate services run by other branches of the government, if they do anything at all. The Continue reading Elimination of mancomunidades announced, first step towards reducing number of townhalls?→

Bankia is worth -13.65 billion euros (yup, that’s minus) and goes bust

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The directors of Bankia have signed off on the final internationally backed independent assessment of the worth of the bank : it’s worth -13.635 billion euros. That is, add up the assets, take away the debts, and you’re left with a hole of almost 14 billion euros. That’s a big hole. The state has confirmed that 100% of the bank will be nationalised, with immediate effect, with the state backed FROB bank fund taking over Continue reading Bankia is worth -13.65 billion euros (yup, that’s minus) and goes bust→

EU citizens can’t legally get permission to reside in Andalucia at the moment

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Confusion reigns for EU citizens trying to get their NIE numbers at the moment. Basically, Madrid has ordered that all foreigners coming to live in Spain must prove that they are able to support themselves, but then left it up to the regions of Spain to define “support themselves”. Despite the fact that the EU rules that all EU citizens have the right to live where they’d like to within the union. Seville, responsible for Continue reading EU citizens can’t legally get permission to reside in Andalucia at the moment→

Average VAT could rise from 8% to 18%

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The government’s plan to increase IVA (VAT) has been leaked – they don’t want to increase IVA across the board, they want to requalify a bunch of products from 8% into the 18% range. Amongst items mooted are cinema tickets, hotels, transport, and drinks in bars -eek!- (all 8%) which would see an extra 10% slapped on them. Spain has three IVA bands : Superreduced at 4% (bread, basic foodgoods, newspapers, certain health products, not Continue reading Average VAT could rise from 8% to 18%→

Turre referendum called – select the “7 wonders of Turre”

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Arturo has called an unofficial referendum of all citizens of Turre to select the “seven wonders of Turre”. Pop along to the Guadalinfo office during business hours and select your favourite seven places of Turre. The list includes the “Moorish bridge” (the main road one, actually built in the early 1900’s), the “street of the gitanos” (why not, indeed), Los Moralicos, several spots along the Rio Aguas (one of which I’d own if plebs were Continue reading Turre referendum called – select the “7 wonders of Turre”→

No more state medicines in Balearic Islands as debt is unsustainable

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Pharmacists in the Balearic Islands have announced that patients must now pay for their prescription medicines up front and individually ask the regional government for their money back, after the debt owed to the pharmacists by the regional health service became “unsustainable”. The pharmacists guild say that they are owed over 90 million euros by the state system, and that the regional government has missed deadlines in paying the back debts. They say that they Continue reading No more state medicines in Balearic Islands as debt is unsustainable→

COAG Almeria asks consumers to not buy at DIA supermarkets

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The agricultural organization COAG-Almeria considers it to be “really cheeky” that supermarkets like DIA are selling melons “piel de sapo” coming from Senegal, as it shows on the tags. Because of it, COAG Almeria is calling up consumers “to not buy at DIA as they are betraying farmers in the province. Don’t they feel ashamed for selling melon coming from Senegal right in the middle of a harvesting campaign? This people forgets that farmers live Continue reading COAG Almeria asks consumers to not buy at DIA supermarkets→

EU leaders set to announce €750bn Spain and Italy bailout deal – Telegraph

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European leaders are poised to announce a 750 billion euro deal to bailout beleaguered Spain and Italy by buying the countries’ debts. Pan-European Government funds are set to be used to buy Spanish and Italian bonds, which have recently hit record highs – in a move which will send a strong signal to financial markets that the German administration is prepared to back its weaker economic neighbours. Angela Merkel and other European leaders have come Continue reading EU leaders set to announce €750bn Spain and Italy bailout deal – Telegraph→