Arona Faces Legal Scrutiny Over Expired Beach Service Contract
The political group Más por Arona has criticized the local government for operating beach sun lounger services without a valid contract, warning of potential legal risks and a lack of administrative planning.
The management of public services in Arona is under fire again, with the political group Más por Arona (MxA) raising concerns over the operation of sun loungers and umbrellas on the municipality's beaches. According to MxA leader Luis García, the service is currently operating without a valid contract, leaving it in a legal grey area.
The original four-year contract, awarded to the company Valoriza in January 2022 for nearly 3.5 million euros, expired on December 31. Crucially, the agreement did not include any clauses for an extension. Despite this, the service is continuing under a temporary arrangement until next June—a move that has been flagged by the municipal comptroller and involves costs exceeding 480,000 euros.
The opposition argues that this contractual gap creates legal risks for the City Council and damages the local government's reputation within the tourism sector, which is vital to the area’s economy. MxA claims that the failure to launch a new bidding process over the past year highlights a lack of planning by the ruling tripartite coalition (PP-CC-Vox).
This situation raises broader concerns regarding the Public Sector Contracts Law, which requires competitive bidding to ensure transparency and efficiency. By allowing a private company to continue collecting revenue without a valid contract, the municipal government faces potential legal liability.
Más por Arona is calling on the local government to regularize the situation immediately through a transparent process. They argue that this is not an isolated incident and are urging officials to stop relying on temporary fixes and instead prioritize the proper management of Arona’s beach services.