Fátima Hamed calls for lowering the IPSI for telecommunications from 10% to 8%, and Kissy Chandiramani conditions the measure on compensating for the lost revenue.
The IPSI rate applied to telecommunications services, currently at 10%, has sparked a confrontation in the plenary session monitoring the Government of Ceuta, as reported by elpueblodeceuta.es. The spokesperson for the Movement for Dignity and Citizenship (MDyC), Fátima Hamed, and the Minister of Finance, Kissy Chandiramani, have accused each other of demagoguery and lack of fiscal rigor.
Hamed has requested explanations regarding the modification of Article 33.2 of the IPSI Tax Ordinance. The Assembly approved in April to study the reduction of the rate to 8%, but, according to the deputy, in several months the groups have not received documentation nor has an informative commission been convened on the matter.
The spokesperson recalled that Ceuta previously applied a tax rate of 8%, which was later raised to 10%, and pointed out that Melilla maintains the reduced rate. According to Hamed, the reduction would alleviate the tax burden on families, freelancers, and businesses due to the widespread use of telecommunications.
“We are not asking to go from 10 to 1, nor to stop paying taxes. We are asking to lower it from 10 to 8%.”
The deputy reproached the local Government for not clarifying whether there are technical reports on the viability of the measure, and accused the Treasury of seeking greater municipal revenue at the expense of taxpayers.
Chandiramani rejected the accusations and warned that any drop in income must be analysed with its budgetary consequences. The minister stated that she does not oppose reducing taxation on telecommunications, but requested to identify the expenditure items that would be affected.
“I have no objection to reducing the telecommunications rate, not to 8, but to 0.5%, which is the established minimum.”
The minister accused Hamed of proposing successive reductions without explaining how municipal services would be funded. She cited the already approved bonuses in housing construction, urban rates, sports and cultural activities, and some commercial sectors.
The debate intensified when Hamed described Chandiramani's response as “political nepotism.” The minister rejected such expressions as disrespectful.
“Political nepotism.”
The controversy extended to the postponement of the IPSI payment for the third quarter. Hamed argues that its approval came too late for freelancers, while Chandiramani denies having delayed the signing of the decree and challenges the spokesperson to prove that the necessary reports existed.
Hamed also questioned the cost of water supply and mentioned more than 8,200 subscribers with high bills.
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