Rojales Town Council has allocated 35,000€ of municipal funds to manage the 262,349€ granted by the Alicante Provincial Council for the 2026 Consumer Voucher campaign. The amount budgeted for organising and processing the aid represents 13.34% of the provincial subsidy and contrasts sharply with the expenditure made by other municipalities for this purpose. This is double the percentage allocated by most municipalities, which is capped at 8%.
The organisation of the Consumer Voucher programme will be carried out through an agreement with the Rojales Merchants Association (ACR), which has yet to be signed, without the City Council having opened a competitive bidding process to select the entity responsible for managing the aid. To have these funds available, Rojales had to approve a budget amendment, which passed unanimously with the support of all parties in the extraordinary plenary session of September 10th. The Mayor, Antonio Pérez (PSOE), confirmed yesterday. Wednesday 14th October, that the operation included other municipal financial needs, in addition to the allocation for the Consumer Voucher programme.
For example, in Torrevieja, the local association that manages the same campaign receives, according to the terms of the last campaign, a maximum of 8% of the total amount. The Benejúzar Town Council, which also held a competitive bidding process to select the collaborating entity, offered a maximum compensation of 10,031€, including VAT, to manage a 124,112€ campaign. That is, 8%.
In Orihuela, which will entrust Facpyme with carrying out the campaign using its own funds despite being under investigation by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office for its management of previous editions of consumer vouchers, the agreement mobilises a total of 432,933€. Of that amount, 400,000€ corresponds directly to the vouchers for consumers, while the remaining 32,933€ will cover Facpyme’s expenses related to organising and managing the campaign. In other words, it does not even reach 8%.
The mayor places the possible launch of the campaign between the end of October and the beginning of November, depending on the signing of the agreement and the preparations of the association. The mayor defends this decision because, as he explains, there is only one local business association in the municipality, and the City Council maintains a regular collaboration with it. There is only one business association here, Pérez points out, adding that the City Council works jointly with its representatives to organise the campaign. This decision has the backing of the municipal auditor.
The 35,000€ allocated by the City Council will come entirely from municipal funds. The Provincial Council uses its subsidies exclusively to finance discounts for consumers, while each municipality must cover the costs associated with its chosen management model. The councillor clarifies that the 35,000€ figure is a projection and that the final expenditure could be lower. They probably will not spend the full 35,000€, he asserts. The City Council has chosen to set aside a sufficient amount to avoid funding and accounting issues during the campaign.
The selection of the association as the managing entity was therefore carried out without an open call to other potentially interested entities, although the mayor maintains that the procedure has the support of the Intervention. Pérez justifies the projected cost, which is significantly higher compared to that of other municipalities, by citing the need to offer the Consumer Voucher both online and in person. This in-person option is specifically designed for senior citizens who do not use digital devices or who find it difficult to complete electronic transactions.
The association will need to have staff available to assist these users and process the necessary transactions to acquire the vouchers. These expenses will be in addition to the operating costs of the digital platform and the fees charged by the payment gateway used for electronic transactions. The mayor acknowledges that some municipalities manage their campaigns directly from the town hall, but defends the model chosen in Rojales. He also explains that the association participated in defining the procedure to be used. This option has a relevant fiscal explanation: if the town hall were to directly distribute the vouchers, the beneficiaries would officially be considered recipients of a subsidy on which they would have to pay taxes.
The campaign will allow consumers to obtain vouchers worth 100€ with a 50€ contribution. The remaining 50€ will be funded by a provincial grant. The Merchants’ Association will manage the transactions and will be responsible for subsequently justifying the corresponding amounts to the City Council in Rojales.
