Malaga Budget 2009
Just been reviewing the Junta de Andalucia’s budget for 2009 and it appears that the Junta de Andalucía has reserved a sum of 812.4 million euros for the province of Malaga, which an increase of 5.1 per cent from last year.
The forecast is that this budget will help create around 23,000 jobs in the province a Malaga. In a time of financial crisis this sort of budget is a positive sign of Malaga and the Costa del Sol future and importance to the economy of Andalucia and Spain. Just as spain has been one of the main engines of growth for the EU over the last few years, the Province of Malaga has been one of the engines of growth of Spain.
As with previous years the department to receive the largest sum in the budget is Public Works, with 154.4 million euros. Of this 90 million goes towards roads (26 million for improving road safety), 43.5 million for the Malaga metro, 8.6 million for the new coastline railway and ten million for the new rail link between Malaga and Seville. 11 million euros is also going to be used to build the six kilometre road to link the A-357 in Campanillas with the future outer ring road.
Education is set to receive 107 million euros. This sum will help provide places for 15,000 extra pupils. Ten thousand of these will be in new schools and the rest will be the result of the extension and modernisation of existing centres. The construction of 12 new schools is planned, mainly in the city and the Guadalhorce Valley area.
Agriculture and Fisheries is set to receive 86 million. Support for the agro-food industry in the province is one of the main priorities of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries next year with a budget of 15 million euros. Another 22.7 million will go towards the development of rural areas, 7.7 million to the development of primary activity and seven million to modernising crop irrigation systems. A more efficient farming industry will also put less of a strain on Andalucía’s water supply.
Health care projects also form an important part of the 2009 budget. It includes 18.2 million euros for new hospital ventures in the province of Malaga which includes a new macro-hospital to be built on the outskirts of the city. The future “Nuevo Carlos Haya” project will combine the Carlos Haya, Civil and Materno hospitals under one roof and is set to start next year. The budget has also reserved funds for the extension of the Costa del Sol Hospital in Marbella and for the new Serranía Hospital in Ronda.
Apart from the hospital scheme other interesting projects include a million euros to organise a women’s international masters tennis competition in the province of Malaga. It is believed that the presence of some of the world’s top tennis players will boost tourism in the area.
In its spending plan for 2009 the regional government has not forgotten the water supply problems suffered in some parts of the province. Of the 81.9 million euros the Andalusian Water Agency has to spend in Malaga next year, 24 million will go towards emergency work in the Axarquía. Sewage treatment receives another 21.5 million.
Next year the regional housing department will spend 25.5 million euros in the province of Malaga. Some of this will be spent on purchasing land on which to build subsidised properties (VPO) in Malaga, Benalmádena, Marbella, Estepona, Mijas, Fuengirola, Torremolinos, Vélez-Málaga and Antequera. Funds will also go towards renovation work. Although I was unable to confirm whether this is part of Spains drive to supply more VPO housing or if this is additional to the national plan.
A million euros has also been reserved for more cultural activities. The Malaga Auditorium will receive 1 million euros while three million will go towards the Malaga City Orchestra. Other projects to receive funds are the Luna Mora theatre in Guaro, the Mijas Auditorium, and theatres in Coín and Pizarra. Some 1.8 million euros has been reserved for buying new books for libraries.
Regards
Andrew Bellés
