Tenerife Council Approves New Fuel Tax, PSOE Slams Broken Promises

Tenerife's Island Council, led by Coalición Canaria with support from the Popular Party, is set to approve a new charge called the "forestry cent" this Friday. This decision comes after they rejected appeals against the tax from individuals, groups, and local councils.

Among those who opposed it was the Santiago del Teide council, which is actually run by the Popular Party. They warned that this new tax would negatively impact the island's economy.

According to the PSOE party in Tenerife, this measure means a tax increase for the island. They explain that residents will pay this new surcharge on gasoline every time they fill up their vehicles. Meanwhile, the ruling parties refuse to introduce a tourist tax, which the socialists argue visitors should pay to help improve public services and protect the island.

Aarón Afonso, the PSOE spokesperson on the Island Council, reminded everyone that Coalición Canaria and President Rosa Dávila are "once again deceiving the people of Tenerife." He pointed out that they promised tax cuts during their election campaign, specifically lowering the IGIC tax from 7% to 5%, but have not delivered on this promise.

"Do you remember that in the 2023 elections, Rosa Dávila and Coalición Canaria promised you that if they governed, they would lower taxes, specifically the IGIC from 7 to 5%? Well, they have been governing in the Canary Islands and also in the Tenerife Island Council for two and a half years, and they haven't done it. And I can tell you now that they are not going to do it," Afonso stated.

Afonso added that instead of reducing taxes, Coalición Canaria and the Popular Party are choosing to raise them on those who are already struggling most with the cost of living in Tenerife. He explained that from November, people will pay more to fill their car tanks – the same cars they need for work, shopping, or doctor's appointments. He concluded that Rosa Dávila and Coalición Canaria are refusing to apply an eco-tax to tourists, yet they are making Tenerife residents pay more to travel around their own island.

The PSOE of Tenerife believes this decision shows the Popular Party's willingness to follow Coalición Canaria's priorities, even when some of its own mayors disagree. They argue it pushes the Island Council towards "regressive taxes," which hit families, self-employed people, and workers the hardest, while more progressive ideas like an eco-tax are ignored.