Fuerteventura Avanza calls for transparency and information on the new waste charge and its discounts

Fuerteventura Avanza raised concerns at the latest Puerto del Rosario Town Council meeting about the situations residents may face as the new waste charge bills arrive, particularly regarding access to discounts and the financial impact on some households.

The party’s spokesperson, Peña Armas, asked the councillor for Economy and Finance, Juan Manuel Verdugo, to appear before the council so she could put specific questions to him about how the charge would be applied, the process for accessing reductions and the information provided to the public.

Armas made clear that Fuerteventura Avanza does not question the existence of legislation requiring councils to adapt the funding system for waste management. Its concern is how the new bill will affect residents and whether they will have all the information they need to understand which discounts they can claim.

“Residents have the right to demand much more than an explanation of the legal obligation to increase a charge. They have the right to know what service they will receive, how it will be improved and how much that service will really cost us,” she said.

One of Peña Armas’s main concerns was access to discounts. The spokesperson asked what would happen to people who took the first environmental awareness course, how those buying a home now would be able to claim reductions, and what solutions would be available to those who could not use the process because of difficulties with information or paperwork.

She also highlighted cases such as pensioners on low incomes who own several properties, and recalled that around 5,000 people took the course in a municipality with more than 45,000 residents.

Peña Armas said that, when applying the new charge, the Town Council must take account of different financial and personal circumstances and put itself in the shoes of Puerto del Rosario residents, particularly given that the bill could mean a significant increase for some households.

Fuerteventura Avanza also believes that the financial effort required of residents must be matched by an improvement in waste collection and management services.

“We cannot ask residents to make a greater financial effort while the service itself is in a precarious state,” Peña Armas concluded.