The Corfu “stunned” by municipal fees, as increases range from… 170% to 400%.

As Corfu News Journalist Yiannis Revithis told SKAI “It’s the easy decision … you put an end and you collect money”

“According to Mayor Poulmenou’s statements last year, the municipality had a $ 11m deficit in terms of the transfer of waste from Corfu to Ioannina and Kozani and we went to an easy solution … to pay a PPC store for 700 euros. and for Municipal fees 2,0000… We are discussing such numbers. People are worried about the truly exorbitant increases, especially professionals and businesses have a very big problem. ” Mr. Revithis emphasized.

In the question, the municipality does not come out the shopkeepers how will they come out? The answer was alternatives from increases, such as saving resources through recycling.

What did the mayor say

In a statement on Tuesday, the Mayor of Central Corfu and the Diapontian Islands Stefanos Poulimenis responded to the strong criticism he has received in recent days to increase municipal fees.

In detail the Mayor’s announcement:

“The data of our Municipal Financial Service, which relate to the deficit it presents on an annual basis, the management of waste (collection, uploading, transportation, processing at the Ioannina and Kozani factories and Finally, a landfill of the residues) and the numbers speak for themselves!

Year 2022: Expenses costs of 16,868,351 euros

Revenue of 11,477,129 euros were collected

Revenue -Expenditure Difference -5.391.221 euros

Year 2023: Costs of 20,824,886 euros were invoiced

Revenue of 12,189,554 euros were received

Revenue -Expenditure Difference -8,635,331 euros

Year 2024: Costs 22,674,578 euros were invoiced

Revenue of 11,434,058 euros were collected

Revenue -Expenditure Difference -11.240,520 euros

Note: The increased costs of 2024 are due to the transfer of unpaid invoices of 2023, totaling EUR 1,478,031.

At this point the question arises: Which organization, which business at local level, could survive with an annual deficit of more than 11 million euros? A deficit referring to the annual transfer to Ioannina and Kozani 46,000 tonnes of waste and the management of another 7,000 tonnes of recyclable, bulky, etc.

The long delays noted in the construction of the Corfu Integrated Waste Management plant have resulted in the continuation of the waste transfer, which is causing an unbearable cost, which the municipality is unable to raise with the limited revenue of the revenues until yesterday.

For the true reason, it is recalled that the inability to repay the cost of transporting waste to the factories of Ioannina and Kozani in 2023, It ended up in its claim, for their part, with legal action.

So having things, the risk of the two factories to be closed and relinquishing the nightmare of rubbish on the island, if we do not have the revenue necessary to pay our obligations, it is obvious.

In the light of this situation, our Municipal Council took the difficult and unintentional, but a necessary decision to adjust the municipal fees, which were locked up in the city at 2007, and for the countryside, at 1999 levels, in the drachma era.

IS THE DISTRIBUTION OF MUNICIPAL FUNCTION?

Finally, because some of our fellow citizens have the feeling that it is unfair to the way municipal fees were formed, we asked the minority factions in the City Council and especially the major minority that It managed the Municipality in September 2019 to Dec. 2023, to submit a counter -proposal to pay the Fund revenue of 23m euros and will be happy to discuss it immediately. We have also asked the Corfu Chamber of Commerce, which is a statutory consultant of the State and has the legal responsibility and obligation to propose comprehensive proposals on highlights, such as the distribution of high costs of waste management.

Our great hope the factory in Corfu

We are very hoping for all of us the prospect of making the construction of our own waste management plant now. which is proceeding decisively by the Solid Waste Management Body (FODSA) chaired by the Ionian Islands Regional Governor.
This factory provides for separate management of increased quantities of recyclable materials and biological waste so as to shrink The volume of mixed waste and no longer the costly distant transport, the total cost, is significantly reduced.

In any case, the need to separate waste in the source (where they are produced) is imperative. And with the best functioning of the municipal service but also with the involvement of residents and professionals in the joint effort. Once the factory construction and the sorting of recyclables in the source becomes a practice, the prospect of reducing municipal fees will become one Normal evolution.

The green small corner, built and will operate from March on the Ionian Islands Street (three bridges) is another step towards the same direction. At the end of 2025, when the year’s account will be made we must have recorded those progress steps that will allow us to see the future with optimism”