The two parties of government - PSOE and Més - appear not to have been able to resolve certain differences regarding the introduction of the tourist tax with Podemos, but they are determined not to let these be an obstacle to the parliamentary process that will approve the tax legislation.
Amendments to the legislation go before the parliamentary finance and budget committee, but the differences remain in respect of the geographical allocation of tax revenue across the four islands and of the revenue being applied to social needs, such as the building of residential care homes for the elderly.
Spokespeople for Més, David Abril and Toni Reus, today admitted that consensus has not been possible on these sticking-points, but Reus said that no one has any intention of putting the tax at risk. "It won't be the tax that PSOE and Més had planned but nor will it be the one that Podemos had planned, but the tax will be supported."
PSOE's Pilar Costa pointed out that there is consensus on 90% of the tax legislation and that it would be "absurd" if its approval were to be put in jeopardy. She said that she was satisfied that maximum effort had been put in at negotiation meetings regarding the tax.
"The finance and budget committee stage is the final one before the tax will go before parliament next week for approval so that it will start to be applied this summer. If Podemos and the Partido Popular vote against the tax being used for care homes and social needs at the committee, then this will be reflected in the legislation."
The leader of Podemos, Alberto Jarabo, said today that he believed the "suspense" over the tax would end soon. Podemos remains opposed to the proposals for revenue being used for purposes such as care homes, as it believes their funding should come from the general budget. It wants revenue to be directed principally towards the environment.