Axarquía businesses face big losses due to drought emergency works

One day after Rincón de la Victoria’s opposition PSOE party warned of the financial losses to businesses on the town’s promenade caused by the works to build a new water pipe, the town hall announced "the commitment to look into alleviating the losses”.

Hotel, restaurants, bars and shops along the promenade have said that they are losing up to 80 per cent of their business as a result of the emergency works that the Junta de Andalucía is carrying out in the town to bring water to the Axarquía area from Malaga city’s reservoirs, due to the ongoing drought.

Some of the ideas put forward during Wednesday’s meeting at the town hall include direct aid and tax exemptions, as announced by the mayor of Rincon, Francisco Salado (PP). At a press conference on 21 March Salado had committed the town hall to "maintain a more fluid and direct line of communication with business owners", as well as to provide "information on the various aids that may come from other administrations".

However, according to a press release given by the councillor Borja Ortiz, “This aid, direct or indirect, will be specified when the work is completed.”

The regional government has acknowledged "some failures" in the execution of the project, which have led to delays and not being able to meet the deadlines initially planned and the town hall once again apologised to business owners for the damage that these works are causing.

"We are working to ensure that this important and necessary work causes as little damage as possible to our businesses, to whom we apologise once again for the inconvenience caused," said Salado and thanked the businesses "for their understanding".

"We know it is not easy, but we must appreciate the need for these urgent works. I am grateful for the patience and willingness of the business owners, with whom we will continue to work to build bridges that will benefit Rincón de la Victoria and its residents," the mayor said.

Salado also stressed that "these emergency works are very necessary in view of the state of drought in which our province and especially our region of the Axarquía finds itself.” He went on to say, “They are works that will also benefit Rincón de la Victoria and we had to be consistent and supportive".