Today, Tuesday, the Council of Ministers approved A pDecree law Which allows city councils and autonomous communities to allocate surplus Regarding liquidation of the budget 2024 investments, specifically those that qualify them to be financially sustainable ( … IFS). This rule represents a change in direction from the rule imposed by Moncloa at the beginning of 2025 (in February), when Forced To the councils and the autonomy to use those treasury remnants Debt extinguishment With banking services.
This move would have brought great relief to Cordoba City Council. This will not be in the 2024 budget. The Treasury Delegate and First Deputy Mayor, Blanca Torrent, was one of the first officials of local entities to denounce the injustice of this restriction (in April), because it represents a government blockade on the use of the 2024 surplus in investments and the imposition of its use for bank debt.
In the case of Capitals, colony Subordinate budget Leaving some remaining 38 million euros. Of this, only 1 million can be used for investments, while 37 million need to be used to repay debts with banks.
This harmed the Córdoba City Council, which did not need to allocate the budget balance to pay off the debt, due to its low size, but was “forced” to do so. For this reason, the first spring plenary session of the City Council agreed to allocate the remainder to bank debt, as determined by law. he PSOE voted against From that measure.
Change course and 37 million
Now the situation has changed. After only 10 months. The turn that causes a “Double punishment” Cordoba City Council. Since it had already spent the rest of 2024 on debt, it could no longer be used for investments, although the government again, suddenly, allowed it to be used for investments.
It is possible as of this Thursday after the Official Gazette (Bank of EnglandRoyal Decree No. 15/2025, which was approved by the Council of Ministers on Tuesday, will be published today, Wednesday. The Bank of England will reflect its entry into force on the day after its publication, i.e. next Thursday. Therefore, the rule is already in effect.
From now on, municipalities will be able to allocate the surplus they obtained in 2024 to investments for the remainder of 2025 and also for 2026 and 2027, something that was prevented in February. Since the Cordoba City Council had allocated the surplus to debt, as it was then established, it could no longer make investments with the remainder.
Treasury Delegate, Blanca Torrent
Treasury Delegate and First Deputy Mayor of Cordoba, blanca torrentOn Thursday, in statements to ABC, he expressed his regret that the government’s decision to change standards “came too late,” which represents double harm to Capitularis.
The only consolation is that Capitalaris will now be able to allocate the potential surplus of 2025, 2026 and 2027 to investments, as it was also demanding for 2024.
Torrent explained, “The initiative Arrives lateSince the remainder for 2024 was obtained with the liquidation of the year, at the end of the first quarter of the year,” so “at that time and until yesterday, when this change in criteria was announced,” the central government demanded that “the remainder be allocated to debt amortization,” all this despite the fact that “both FAMP and FEMP asked to reconsider this position, and that is what we did: comply with the rule” that was at that moment.
The person responsible for Tax authorities He stressed that “at this time There is no room for reaction To implement this measure, “it will therefore be studied with a view to the remainder of next year, that is, 2025.” extension The new standard allows investment again for the years 2025, 2026 and 2027.
The royal decree specifies the obligation to do so He works The investment must start in any case before December 31, 2026 (for those from 2024). Of course, if the expenses cannot be paid in full in the current year, they can also be applied to the following year. That is, it allows for semi-annual expenses. If the investment begins in 2025, it can be paid in 2025 and 2026. If it is done in 2026, it can be applied to 2026 and 2027.