The Socialist Group in the Cabildo of Lanzarote condemns the systematic use of negotiated procedures without publicity by the councillor responsible for the Centres of Art, Culture and Tourism, with the aim of awarding contracts without public competition.
“The negotiated procedure without publicity is intended as an exception, not as the norm. But here it is being used systematically to award contracts without transparency or competition. It is a blatant way to circumvent public tendering and distribute contracts,” stated Socialist councillor Benjamín Perdomo in a press release on Monday.
Perdomo explains that this type of procedure is only justified in specific cases, such as the hiring of exclusive artists, unique technologies, or when a previous tender has been left vacant. “None of this is being adhered to. We are facing an abusive and self-serving use of the procedure to benefit certain companies,” Perdomo denounced.
Furthermore, the Socialists have requested access to several of these files, and their request for information has been denied, which further exacerbates the lack of transparency. “They are deliberately withholding information that should be available to the opposition groups. If there is nothing to hide, why won’t they grant access?” he added.
The PSOE demands that the president of the Cabildo, Oswaldo Betancort, put a stop to these practices and restore the principles of legality, transparency, and free competition in the procurement processes of the Centres.
“The Centres cannot be managed like a private company or a recruitment agency. We are talking about public resources and the cultural and tourist image of Lanzarote. They deserve exemplary management, not this clientelist model,” concluded Perdomo.
