A little over a week ago, the public company responsible for the collection and management of waste in 94% of Galician municipalities announced its intention to increase the fee, the cost for municipalities to remove a ton of garbage, from 66 euros –currently 78. minus 12 from the regional local cooperation fund – to 108. The company itself explained that the increase is due to the application of state taxes, among others, on activities such as incineration and landfilling that Sogama carries out during its operations. And, between accusatory messages, they announced this Saturday that they would accept the request of that the levies be removed so that Sogama can restore the royalty to its previous level. Its deputies will do so next week, when they present an initiative to the General Cortes.
“We do not understand how Spain is one of the few countries, if not the only one in the European Union, that decides to tax something that is well done, such as the recovery of our waste,” said the head of Environment and Climate Change of the Xunta, Ángeles Vázquez, during a meeting he held on Saturday with the deputies and senators of the PPdeG. Just as Sogama already mentioned in the letter in which she makes her position known, the minister cited the taxes in the context of the Law 7/2022 of April 8 on waste and contaminated soils for a circular economy. “A law that the Galician government opposed during the period of the allegations and against which the Popular Party voted”, but which was adopted with the support of the PSOE and the BNG, recalled the head of the Environment.
These regulations dictate, among other things, new taxes on landfill and incineration which “last year amounted to 9.1 million euros that Sogama supported from its own resources, “Supporting municipal councils so as not to tax municipal coffers,” said Vázquez. Added to this is the elimination of the remuneration for the investment in the thermoelectric plant that supports the company in recycling – “committed until its useful life ends” in 2026, the popular party points out in a letter – and the recovery of the 7% electricity tax.
“Although the State and the PSOE itself hide behind the argument that the application of the new taxes is due to the transposition of a European directive, the truth is that currently, practically all European countries have not established these taxes,” stressed the minister, who was accompanied in her appearance by the secretary general of the PPdeG, Paula Prado. For Vázquez, The Galician socialists did it ““Deaf ears” to allegations made by the Xunta regarding the application of new taxes two years ago, when the state law was in its exhibition period.
The president of Sogama, Javier Domínguez, had already explained that this increase was “solely responsible” for the increasing fiscal pressure of the central government. “They were the ones who approved the law on contaminated waste and soil, which establishes new state taxes on incinerated waste that affect the cost of the increase in the Sogama fee of 39 euros,” he detailed in statements made to Radio Galega. That is why, “Such abrupt statements are surprising “What are the mayors of the PSOE and the BNG doing now, when they were the ones who approved the law with their votes,” he added in recent statements to ABC, referring to the councilors of Vigo, Abel Caballero; and Santiago, Goretti Sanmartín; who had called the download a “scam” and “scandalous”, respectively.
Avoid the rise
For now, the local popular groups of Vigo and Lugo have sent, also this Saturday, separate statements to the media announcing that they will propose, in their respective plenary sessions, amendments to that Sogama freezes the cannon at its current figure if Sanchez agrees to withdraw the taxes which tax its activity, since the company assures that they are the only cause that motivates the increase.
Precisely, in an interview granted this Thursday to Galiciapress, the president of the company mentioned this same scenario: “If tomorrow the Spanish government removes these taxes on landfill and incineration and returns the remuneration to the thermoelectric plant until 2026, I, the next day, will not have to increase the costs. “I would return to the rate of 66 euros,” he assured.
