Matas sparks fresh tax controversy

Former Balearic Chief Minister, now Spanish Minister for the Environment, Jaume Matas, said yesterday that the Balearic government has to take things more seriously and expressed his doubts that the tourist tax will be introduced as the government cannot approve “a tax like the tourist tax when the repercussions have not been studied.” Matas says he finds the design of the tourist tax project “incredible” and announced that central government is prepared to invest 12'000 million pesetas per year in the Balearic environment and the improvement of the infrastructure in resorts as an alternative to the controversial tourist tax. “The Balearic government should be behaving more seriously as its obligation is to look after the interests of the people, to obtain the maximum amount of financial resources and solve the problems facing the community, that's what they should be doing,” Matas said during a short break in Minorca. He said that a levy such as the tourist tax cannot be approved as “the consequences of the tax have not been examined and if the government needs more money it should be negotiating and talking with central government and the European Union or wherever.