cuts

The Catalan President asks citizens for “explicit statements” supporting a new fiscal agreement with Spain

August 9, 2012 11:28 PM | CNA / Gaspar Pericay Coll

The President of the Catalan Government, Artur Mas, also talked about the delays of August payments to social care organisations, and he “hoped to be in a better situation” next month. However Mas could not give “a total guarantee” as it depends on whether the Spanish Government activates the Liquidity Fund for the Autonomies. In fact, Mas urged the Spanish Government to do so at the end of this month and said it is “illogical” to make a grand announcement about the measure and then not implement it.

Immigrants in Spain to pay between €710 and €1860 per year to access healthcare if they have not contributed to Social Security

August 7, 2012 10:43 PM | CNA

The Catalan Government will allow universal access to community health centres, despite the Spanish Government’s decision. Autonomous Communities are those managing the public healthcare system. After announcing that immigrants would not be able to access the service without contributing to the Social Security system, the Spanish Government is now preparing formulas allowing them to continue accessing the public healthcare system if they pay the fee. The Spanish Health, Social Services and Equality has confirmed that foreign people less than 65 years old will pay €710 per year and those older will pay €1,860. Access will be free in emergencies as well as for pregnant women and minors.

The Spanish Government will cut an additional €19 billion from the Autonomies’ budget within the next two years

August 4, 2012 12:21 AM | CNA

The Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, has announced further budget cuts for 2013 and 2014, totalling an additional €89.1 billion. These budget cuts are to be added to those implemented between 2010 and 2012. Autonomous Communities will have to cut their budget by an additional €19 billion in 2013 and 2014, which is added to the €15 billion already announced in Spring affecting education and healthcare. However, no details of the €19 billion plan were provided. Rajoy stated that in 2014 the Spanish economy will grow by 1.2%, leaving the recession behind. With this plan, Spain’s public deficit for 2013 will be set at 4.5% and at 2.8% for 2014.

The Catalan Executive states it will meet its financial obligations despite not attending the Autonomies’ meeting

August 1, 2012 11:00 PM | CNA / Gaspar Pericay Coll

The Catalan Minister for Territory and Sustainability, Lluís Recoder, has emphasised that “not attending a meeting as a protest does not mean not honouring the agreements”. Recoder was answering the Spanish Finance Minister, Cristóbal Montoro, who emphasised that all the Autonomies are obliged to meet the deficit and debt targets. Recoder said that Montoro’s words were not appropriate and unfair, since Catalonia has been leading austerity reforms and budget cuts in Spain.

The Catalan Government cannot pay funds for health and social care organisations in time for August

August 1, 2012 10:44 PM | CNA / Gaspar Pericay Coll

Catalonia’s Executive blames the Spanish Government for not having transferred all this month’s economic resources and creating serious financial problems for the Autonomies, compelled to pay other financial obligations first. Social care organisations state that the service is guaranteed but that some employees might not receive their salary in time. In addition, despite that they are looking for solutions with the Catalan Government, they criticise the bad planning and are having to look for last minute solutions. Catalonia’s opposition parties have forced the Catalan Finance and Social Affairs Ministers to explain the situation to the Catalan Parliament.

New austerity package approved in Spanish Congress despite lack of support

July 20, 2012 02:29 AM | David Tuxworth

The Spanish Congress has ratified a new austerity package this Thursday with 180 votes from People’s Party (PP), 131 votes against made up by the other parties and one abstention from the Unión del Pueblo Navarro (UPN). The new measures include the suspension of the Christmas bonus for public sector officials, an increase in VAT, and a reduction in unemployment benefit after the sixth month. The Spanish finance minister, Cristóbal Montoro, defended the measures on the grounds that they are "necessary sacrifices" to enable economic recovery and that "giving up is not recommended or possible". Various groups have protested against the measures, with over 80 demonstrations across the country.

The Catalan Government will bring Rajoy’s health decree to the Constitutional Court

June 6, 2012 12:14 AM | CNA

Following the advice of the Catalan Council for Constitutional Guarantees (CGE), the Catalan Executive will appeal the Spanish Government’s decree to save €7 billion in healthcare this year. However, it will continue implementing the decree until a judicial decision is made. According to the CGE, the decree violates 3 Spanish Constitution articles and 3 others from the Catalan Statute of Autonomy. The decree does not guarantee equality among all citizens, since it limits access to public healthcare. In addition, it invades the Catalan Government’s powers. Left-wing Catalan parties were the first to ask for CGE’s opinion, since they consider the new decree violates basic social rights.

The Catalan Government had a 6.23% budget surplus in the first four months of the year

May 30, 2012 12:54 AM | CNA / Josep Molina

The Catalan Government’s finances corresponding to the first four months of 2012 showed a €535 million budget surplus. Spending has been reduced by €240 million in comparison to the same period last year, when the Catalan Government’s budget had a deficit of €1.13 billion. The budget surplus is mostly due to the transfers made by the Spanish Government, which partially correspond to payments from 2010.

Green light for the Catalan Government’s plan of adjusting €4.3 billion to meet this year’s deficit target

May 18, 2012 12:55 AM | CNA

The Catalan Government will adjust its budget by €4.295 billion in 2012, through spend cuts of €2.680 billion and increasing revenue by €1.615 billion. With this plan, the Catalan Government will meet the 1.5% deficit target. The Council of Fiscal and Financial Policy (CPFF), which brings together the Spanish Government and the 17 Autonomies, has approved Catalonia’s budget adjustment plan for 2012-2014. The Spanish Government would pay part of the money owed, but not all of it. The Catalan Government has included a plan B in case the Spanish Government does not honour its fiscal obligations towards Catalonia.

The Catalan Government presents its third austerity plan based on further budget cuts “obliged” by Madrid and Brussels

May 16, 2012 12:59 AM | CNA / Gaspar Pericay Coll

The third plan represents an additional budget cut of €1.5 billion, in order to meet the 1.5% deficit target for this year. The President of the Catalan Government, Artur Mas, said that the plan “guarantees essential services”. He also stated that if the Spanish Government had paid what it owed last year, the current reduction would be halved. The plan decreases budget allocations for public companies, reduces public employee salaries once again, decreases the amount allocated for subsidies, delays investments, privatises some public companies, sells public buildings, and implements the measures decided by the Spanish Government regarding health and education. The opposition criticised the plan for not being concrete and effective enough.

The Spanish Government doesn’t transfer the money, but transfers the blame

April 25, 2012 12:36 AM | CNA

The Spanish Finance Minister, Cristóbal Montoro, blamed the Autonomies and town halls for Spain’s public deficit. Montoro stated that the Spanish Government is meeting the deficit objective for 2012 with the results from the first quarter. However, Catalan MPs reminded Montoro that he is refusing to pay the money it owes Catalan institutions and that with this strategy he transfers the blame for the deficit by not transferring the funds. The Catalan Government directly accused the Spanish Executive for their “massive lie”. According to internal studies from the Catalan Government, the Spanish Executive made incorrect calculations by saying the Autonomies could save €10 billion in healthcare and education with last week’s measures.

The Catalan President threatens early elections if the Spanish Government intervened in Catalonia

April 24, 2012 01:08 AM | CNA

In an interview with the Catalan Public Television Broadcaster, the Catalan President and leader of the Centre-Right Catalan Nationalist Coalition (CiU) recognised that the Spanish Government could intervene the Catalan Government. “It could happen, I won't deny it”, he said. Furthermore, he warned that “the mistrust level will be very high” if the Spanish Government does not pay the money it owes the Catalan Executive. Mas said that “if Madrid wants to intervene Catalonia’s self-government”, he would call early elections. In addition, he said that further budget cuts will be needed.

The Catalan Government keeps the drug prescription fee despite Madrid’s additional measures

April 19, 2012 09:56 PM | CNA / Patricia Mateos

The day after the Spanish Government imposed increasing the price citizens pay for medication, the Spokesperson for the Catalan Government confirmed that Catalonia will maintain the €1 drug prescription fee. The Catalan Health Minister had said earlier they would study if the drug prescription fee would be implemented. The main doctors union and Left-Wing opposition parties asked the Catalan Government to eliminate the drug prescription fee, because it would make Catalan citizens pay more for their medication than the rest of Spanish citizens.

The Catalan Health Minister considers the Spanish Government’s measures to cut spending “to be insufficient”

April 19, 2012 12:28 AM | CNA / Gaspar Pericay Coll

The Spanish Minister of Health met with her counterparts from the Autonomous Communities to discuss measures to reduce healthcare spending by €7 billion. Pensioners will have to pay for 10% of their medication, with a maximum of between €8 and €18 per month depending on their income. Furthermore, people with a job will have to pay for 40% to 60% of the price, depending on their income. Besides, the number of pills will better adapt to prescriptions, drug purchases will be centralised and generic drug prescriptions will be fostered. Catalonia might not eliminate the drug prescription fee although the final decision will be taken once the impact of measures is fully studied. The Catalan Minister also emphasised that the main problem in Catalonia is “the system’s funding” and not expenditure, which cannot be further reduced.