The incompetence of the local Tourism Minister

The Boad of the Natural Park Mondragó, in Santanyi, approved by majority vote last July 17 the creation of a sculptor park in the protected area of Mondragó, called "Territori Natural per a l'Art". The members of the board that voted in favour were the Santanyí Council, the Association of Owners and the Balearic Government, and those who voted against were the representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, the GOB and the UIB. The local Minister of Tourism is the promoter of the project that has an initial budget of 500 million pesetas.

The GOB, in a press release, has described the idea as preposterous, and has asked the Govern to forget it. According to the ecological organisation, the 500 million pesetas doubles the annual budged that the Govern dedicates to all the natural parks, and proposes as an alternative "the installation of 'land-art' in some degraded areas (near town areas, quarries, etc.) as a mechanism to recover and revalue them, giving an example of the new way of being more respectful with our natural heritage."

Meanwhile, this week the Ibatur, an organisation dependent on the Department for Tourism, has also announced the investment of 200 million pesetas to improve the tourist image of the Balearics. According to the daily press, Ibatur intends to dedicate an important part of the budget to improving its web page in which it has already invested until now a minimum of 20 million pesetas, without counting the promotional expenses. The product, that is in direct competition with the electronic publications that without any government subsidy have been promoting for years the Balearics throughout the world, was presented in April, in the tennis tourney, Open Mallorca.

Sources close to the Progress Pact say that if the Ecotax is finally applied, the tax that was supposed to be pacted with all members of the Balearic society and has not, strict measures of control will have to be taken to ensure that the funds collected are not destined to mistaken policies that only pursue the control of society and personal benefit.

Photo © CAIB

Date of publication: 20/07/2001

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