La Línea receives €3.5 million more than similar sized towns

LA LÍNEA The central government distributes its largesse via something called Participación de los Ingresos del Estado, or PIE in its not inappropriate Spanish acronym that translates into Participation in State Income. According to PSOE Deputy Salvador de la Encina, La Línea's piece of the PIE amounts to an average of €3.5 million per year more than other similarly-sized towns, which adds up to €24.5 million since 2004 - or around €15,000,000 per year. This, says the deputy, is because of its condition as a border town and is part of a Special Financial Charter drawn up in recognition of the fact.>

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The problem, says De la Encina, is that the amount, which varies according to population increase or otherwise, was frozen in 2003 by the then Aznar (PP) government.

At the last census the population of La Línea is 64,595 inhabitants. In comparison, San Fernando, also in the province of Cádiz, has a population of 96,366. Both towns receive around €15 million from the PIE. Also, municipalities such as Sanlúcar de Barrameda and Chiclana de la Frontera, with populations similar to La Línea's, this year received €11.4 and 11.9 millions respectively. The difference is owed to La Línea's special category in the eyes of the central government. But the problem resides in that the municipality's precentage was frozen in 2003, which leads Mayor Sánchez to demand the approximately €30 million he says is the town's due and that it has not received.

See our Editorial on the subject.