The PSPV-PSOE of Xàbia denounces the elimination of consumer vouchers despite the "economic capacity" of the City Council

The municipality of Xàbia will not have this year the Consumption Bonus which in recent years had stimulated purchases in local businesses and benefited, according to the PSPV-PSOEto thousands of neighbors.

Presentation of the PSPV-PSOE electoral program for Xàbia in 2023 (archive)

According to the socialists, the decision represents a step backwards in policies supporting local businesses, especially during key periods such as the Christmas season.

The government team of Xàbia, headed by the mayor Rosa Cardona (PP), has justified the absence of consumer vouchers through an interview in a media outlet that the PSPV-PSOE considers sympathetic. In said interview, the Councilor for Commerce, Juan Luís CardonaHe argues that "the Provincial Council no longer funds them" as the main reason for not promoting this campaign in 2025.

The Socialist group believes this explanation is an attempt to "pass the buck and evade municipal responsibility," since, it emphasizes, other city councils have indeed sought alternatives to maintain the initiative.

As an example, the PSPV-PSOE cites the case of Dénia, a municipality governed by a socialist executive, which has indeed implemented consumer vouchers using its own resources Town Hall.

For the socialists of Xàbia, this contrast demonstrates that the absence of bonds in the town is not solely due to a lack of provincial funding, but to a "lack of will" political"and planning by the government."

Regarding the assumption of responsibility, the PSPV-PSOE maintains that the current PP-led local government "is an expert at finding external culprits." They allege that the problems were first attributed to the previous administration, then to municipal technicians, and now even to the Alicante Provincial Council.

The councilor from the socialist group, Ximo SegarraHe states that "the vouchers haven't been issued due to the incompetence and negligence of the head of Commerce and the Mayor. They haven't done their job." work and have harmed dozens of businesses and thousands of residents."

Segarra argues that, although the Alicante Provincial Council does not promote the bonds, "the Javea Town Hall "It has more than enough financial resources to do it on its own." The councilman points out that, in his opinion, this situation is aggravated by a previous budgetary decision made by the current local government.

"If Rosa Cardona's government had not eliminated a €300.000 allocation in the 2025 budget intended to help..." member "And now the self-employed could have the vouchers," says Ximo Segarra.

For the socialist group, the elimination of this budget item demonstrates that "they are neither with the local business nor with the residents" and that the current municipal corporation has not prioritized policies to support the economic fabric of Xàbia.

In conclusion, the Socialist councilor added: “What’s the point of holding commerce events with a purely symbolic impact instead of focusing on what really matters: supporting commerce with concrete measures, because the money is there. What’s lacking is capacity, foresight, and above all, the will. This Christmas season will be very different in two towns that are geographically close but have vastly different management models. Dénia, with its progressive government, will support families and businesses with the consumer voucher program, while in Xàbia it has already become clear that neither families nor commerce are among the priorities of those who govern us.”