One of the main issues that has flown over the preparation of the Budgets of the Generalitat Valenciana for 2023 has been the treatment of Alicante. A province that has become one of the priorities of the Valencian Government during this legislature, but that has been scalded by the distribution of the General State Budgets, to the point that businessmen and civil society will demonstrate this Thursday for the underfunding of which is submitted by the Government.
To try to make amends to the province that is at the bottom in terms of state investment despite being fifth in terms of GDP and population, the Valencian Government has projected investments worth 610 million. Treasury sources explain that these figures represent 40% of the total territorialized investments, above the population weight of the province.
In this line, they detail that the botanical investment has always been in crescendo since in the last budget of the PP this was 34.4%. "Now the total investment is 6 points above the last budget before the Botànic", the same sources explain after analyzing the data. Regarding the 2022 budget, territorialized investment goes from 39.07% to 40%.
Much of this progress is thanks to the investment of the Ministry of Territorial Policy, Public Works and Mobility. The set of investments of the department directed by Rebeca Torró amount to more than 300 million euros, of which 148.7 (49.1%) goes to Alicante.
Among the works planned are improvements to the CV-865 that connects Elx with Santa Pola in different actions, which include the construction of a pedestrian cycle lane between the two towns (€13.4M); the improvement of the CV-800 as it passes through Xixona (€3.6M); or the Ronda Norte de Algueña (€3.1M) Three million have been budgeted for road safety improvements in the connection of CV-95 with CV-941 and access to Villa Martín in San Miguel de Salinas and the splitting of the first section of the CV-95 between Jacarilla and the road that goes to the AP-7 and Los Montesinos.
However, the most powerful investments are those of Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat Valencia. In the province of Alicante a total of 48 million is allocated, which represents 59.9% of the total investment. In the budget project, actions such as the purchase of trams for Alicante (€40M) or the Luceros Adif Intermodal Station in Alicante (€35.6M) stand out, an item that, sources from Territorial Policy explained, will be incorporated as remnants during the year 2023.
Health also makes an extra effort in this province. The investment program in works and equipment in health centers and hospitals, with a budget of 413 million euros, allocates 165, just over 40%, to Alicante.
Some items that try to compensate for the little state investment that has generated political and business tension in a province that feels little listened to. In fact, this Thursday there is a protest rally called by the Alicante Chamber of Commerce before the Alicante Government Subdelegation.
