Montoro warns that the control of the accounts of the Generalitat will be "as long as the challenge to legality"

Montoro warns that the control of the accounts of the Generalitat will be "as long as the challenge to legality"

The Minister of the Treasury reminds that there is a monthly monitoring of expenditure in Catalonia and warns that the financing of illicit activities can be "prevented" without the need for the 155

  The Finance Minister, Cristóbal Montoro, has warned the future Government of the Generalitat that the control of the Catalan accounts will continue as long as "they remain obstinate in a defiant attitude before the law". In this sense, Montoro has insisted that the intervention is carried out with the aim of "not allocating public resources to illicit activities." Thus, explained that despite the withdrawal of the effects of Article 155 of the Constitution will remain "at least" the controls that were launched in 2015 and consist of the General Auditor Generalitat report monthly on the implementation of the budget expenditure

  However, Montoro made it clear during his speech in the forum 'El Ágora' by El Economista that the monitoring of Catalan accounts can increase again as events evolve. "We will already see what this withdrawal of controls consists of," he said. In this regard, the minister recalled "the experience of maximum control since September", referring to measures that, among other things, meant protecting State transfers corresponding not only to mechanisms such as the FLA, but also to deliveries to accounts of the financing system.

In this regard, the minister recalled that these measures "were implemented before 155", in a warning that the controls on the accounts may be hardened without the need to apply this constitutional article again. Something that, has assured, contemplates the law of budgetary stability. A regulation that - as it has stood out - was supported by CiU in the Congress and that allows the intervention of the accounts.

Also, the head of the Treasury has criticized that one of the first requests of the new president of the Genralitat, Quim Torras, has been to lift that surveillance. "Why does it hinder him?" Asked Montoro, who insisted they were going to "prevent" the financing of illegal activities. "And you do not need the 155 for it," he clarified. In addition, Montoro has rejected that there is a problem with the accounts of TV3, but has charged against the contents of Catalan public television: "You can not do from the public services promotion of illegal activities."

Reform of the financing system

In any case, Montoro hopes that the new Government of the Generalitat feels to negotiate such important issues as the reform of the regional financing system. In fact, Montoro has announced that a Fiscal and Financial Policy Council will be convened to deal with this issue after the Budgets are approved in the plenary session of the Congress, that is, at the end of May or the beginning of June. In this regard, the minister recalled that this modification of the current model will only be carried out if it has the support of the PSOE.

On the other hand, the finance minister has insisted on the need to increase public resources to finance the rise in pensions. This strategy is part of the creation of a tax for big technology, the so-called 'Google rate'. Montoro has defended this new tax because the digital giants that generate a large volume of activity "are the ones that pay less in Spain". In addition, he stressed that it is an initiative of a European nature.