Extraordinary Meeting Highlights Economic Concerns in Lanzarote
The plenary chamber of the Insular Council of Lanzarote was the setting for an extraordinary plenary session on Tuesday. According to Councillor Óscar Noda, “the worrying economic drift of the government led by Oswaldo Betancort has once again been substantiated.”
Concerns Over Economic Plan
Noda abstained from voting on item six of the agenda, which relates to the Economic and Financial Plan 2025-2026 of the Insular Council of Lanzarote and the use of reserves. In his opinion, “the Plan is merely another disaster of Oswaldo Betancort’s administration, hindering many of the commitments made by the Cabildo of Lanzarote in previous years, even by his own government. Moreover, vital issues for the island remain unresolved, including the lack of housing, insufficient water supply, and a commitment to allocate €20 million for the undergrounding of power lines.”
Financial Mismanagement
“The economic report from the council auditor presented in the file,” Noda continued, “indicates that reserves have been invested in non-structural, non-priority expenditures that do not address the pressing issues stated by Oswaldo Betancort.”
Noda explained, “the approval of the Economic Financial Plan aims to incorporate €10 million in reserves. With this amount, for instance, they will not be able to fulfil the commitment for the 136 homes in Yaiza agreed with the Government of the Canary Islands and the Town Hall of Yaiza. They will also not meet the commitment for the undergrounding of power lines, which requires €20 million, and certainly will not be able to uphold commitments to provide funding for the Insular Water Consortium and the Insular Water Council for much-needed projects to alleviate the water crisis we are currently experiencing in Lanzarote.”
Seeking Regional Funding
“On the other hand, we will not remain idle, and I will request meetings with the political groups in the Canary Islands Parliament to try and salvage these projects with regional funding,” he stated.
Allegations of Mismanagement
Noda asserted, “The Intervention of the Cabildo of Lanzarote again exposes the continuous lies of Oswaldo Betancort regarding the commitments made and the resolution of Lanzarote’s real problems. There will be no funds for the Playa Blanca homes this year, no money for the undergrounding of power lines, and no budget to resolve the water crisis. However, there has been funding for festivals and cultural events of all kinds, but not for addressing the significant problems faced by citizens—this is a disgraceful summary of Oswaldo Betancort’s government.”
He added, “Another point highlighted today is the lack of financial capacity and the economic difficulties faced by the Cabildo of Lanzarote, in contrast to Yaiza, which has been able to incorporate €22.5 million in reserves for this financial year for works and projects. The Cabildo, as the foremost insular institution, will only be able to add €10 million,” Noda concluded on “a bleak day for the island of Lanzarote due to Oswaldo Betancort’s poor management.”
Support for Environmental Initiatives
In a different context, and despite these criticisms, Noda supported and “saved” the insular government in voting on crucial matters such as the renewal of the Insular Environmental Authority, which is essential for advancing sectoral reports and authorisations to provide legal security to our territory. For Noda, this support comes from “the broad-mindedness that should underpin all political activity, as he believes in positive politics for citizens—helping, contributing, and supporting, above the partisan controversies that the three major parties have accustomed us to.”
