Six towns owed money from Junta de Andalucia for school lunches

SIX towns have complained that the Junta de Andalucia owes them €500,000 for the school meal services from last year.

According to left-wing party Izquierda Unida’s Provincial Coordinator and Andalucian Deputy, Jose Antonio Castro, this could be considered against the law, as the agreements with the town halls which provide the service which should be repaid by the Junta, should have been signed three months after the agreement was reached, but this has not happened.

Almachar is owed €92,000 from last term and is already providing the service for this term. The mayor, Jose Gamez, explained that the town hall feels “strangled” as they are paying school dining room monitors and providers, leading to serious shortfalls in the municipal coffers, which could lead them to break the Budget Stability Law.

However, the mayor says, “it is better for the town hall to have problems than the providers”.

Humilladero and Casares are in similar situations, and in Humilladero, the produce is sourced locally, but failure to pay is causing problems to local businesses. The Junta owes the town €84,000. Apparently the towns have been requesting a meeting with the manager of Infrastructures and Educational Services for the Junta de Andalucia, even if it’s only by phone, but they have had no response, which they consider “disgraceful”.

Izquierda Unida plans to present a motion in Parliament to request that the Education Department pay the debt it has with the town halls and prevents traditional school lunches from disappearing in towns which are willing to offer them.