There will be no awnings on Tabarca Island this summer, at least until the Alicante City Council pays the outstanding debt of more than 165,000 euro owed to the contractor since last year. Grupo Costa Blanca HTS has stated that the situation has left them with debt and asserts that they will not reinstall the shade structures until the invoices are paid in full, as doing so would require them to advance funds they do not possess.
The head of the company, Khalil Bouzidi, expressed frustration at the attitude of the local authority, stating that they no longer answer calls. 16th April marked the first anniversary of the contract being awarded, and the firm, which employs 22 people, has had to use its own resources to cover the shortfall caused by the administrative delays.
In response, the City Council explained that the full amount has not been paid because the Comptroller’s Office does not permit a contract to be paid 100% in advance. Local officials referred to the Tourism Sustainability Plan for the Destination, indicating that a budget adjustment has been required to split the payment into three instalments. The local government added that as soon as the remaining funds are received, the Governing Board will approve the adjustment and release the payment, though no date has been set for the transfer. The company has confirmed it received 10% of the total amount for the initial project phase, leaving 90% pending.
This is not the first issue surrounding the awnings, which were dismantled at the end of last July in the middle of the high season, after being in place for just over a month. This incident occurred despite initial announcements that they would remain until November.
The contract was originally put out to tender in December 2024 with a budget of 211,850 euro to cover two sections of Tabarca Island between Carloforte Square and Carrer del Moll, and between that street and Plaza Grande, to protect residents and tourists from the sun.
However, prior to the award, the Department of Integrated Heritage warned that the project partially affected a Property of Cultural Interest. The heritage report specified that the structures could only be installed temporarily between 29th June and 16th July. The administration proceeded to award the contract regardless on 16th April, and the structures were ultimately forced down on 25th July to comply with heritage regulations. In August, the contract entered the payment phase for a fixed amount of 165,649 euro, prompting the company to pay 28,749 euro in VAT, an amount that has also not yet been recovered.
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