MÁS por Palma accuses the PP of “privatizing” the public sector: it outsources water resources reports for 1.3 million

PalmMÁS por Palma has accused the People's Party of "privatizing" the public sector following a €1.3 million contract to outsource the drafting of reports for the Balearic Government's Directorate General of Water Resources. The eco-sovereignist party believes this decision represents mismanagement of public funds and weakens the administration. According to the proposal the party will present at the Palma City Council meeting, the management of files related to urban planning and the public interest should remain in the hands of public employees to guarantee impartiality, transparency, and legal certainty. The party demands that the resources allocated to this contract be used directly to strengthen the workforce. According to their calculations, the €1.3 million could be used to hire up to 25 specialized technicians, with salaries above the industry average.

The party spokesperson, Neus Truyol, asserted that "with this money we could quadruple the technical staff and put the Administration to work for the citizens." Conversely, she criticized the PP for "weakening the public sector and enriching private companies with multi-million euro contracts." Truyol also warned that Palma's urban planning "should not be in the hands of private companies" and denounced this policy as favoring the interests of large real estate developers. "First they make policies for the big developers, and now they're handing over the water resources to private companies," she stated. Currently, the technical staff involved in these reports numbers fewer than half a dozen professionals, a structural deficiency that, according to MÁS, explains the delays in processing applications. The party maintains that with 25 new technicians, the backlog could be reduced in three or four months, ensuring more efficient management.

The eco-sovereignist spokesperson insisted that outsourcing public functions "turns public money into private business" and warned of the strategic importance of the affected reports. "We're talking about deciding whether there is enough water for new urban development projects or whether wastewater treatment plants can handle more pressure," she explained. The party demanded that the People's Party (PP) rectify the situation and allocate resources to strengthening public sector workforces, warning that continuing to outsource services is not only more expensive but can also jeopardize the quality and independence of the administration.