The Mallorca Association of Bars, Restaurants and Cafeterias (CAEB Mallorca Catering) and the Balearic Islands Catering Business Federation (Ferib) have called for “urgent solutions” from the government in the face of the water cuts in Banyalbufar, where Richard Branson’s luxury Son Bunyola hotel and villas is located.
In a statement issued today, the entities have expressed their “concern” about the problems faced by bars and restaurants in the municipality, as well as the “significant impact” that the cuts will have.
These, they said, “will cause a considerable decrease in the income of local businesses, generating a serious economic damage”. As a result CAEB has offered all of its support to “seek solutions to alleviate the negative effects of drought.
Similarly, they said they understood “the difficult situation” and thanked “the efforts of the local council, which is unable to manage the drought with the current budget. That is why the association is asking the government for urgent aid to mitigate the negative effects of these cuts,” the two organisations insisted.
They also questioned why the funds generated by the Sustainable Tourism Tax (ITS) or eco tax “are not being used to provide economic aid or to finance tankers with desalinated water”. “This is a regrettable situation in the middle of the season, which not only damages the image of the island, but also represents an economic loss for both restaurateurs and residents of the area,” they said.
They also pointed out that the “water crisis” in Banyalbufar began in May and has intensified with the arrival of summer and the increase in the population of the municipality. In the face of the problem, the council has announced intermittent water cuts from July 15, which will leave residents and establishments without drinking water supply between 23.00 and 16.00 hours. “That is, for 17 hours a day, which is a serious damage to the whole community,” lamented CAEB and Ferib.
In addition to these cuts, the containment measures established two months ago are maintained as the restriction of consumption to 75 litres per inhabitant per day and the ban on cleaning terraces, both private and catering establishments, among other measures.
For all these reasons, the entities have made “an urgent appeal” to the administrations to solve this problem “before the losses force establishments to close”, and have conveyed their support “not only to the businesses in Banyalbufar, but also to all those affected by the drought in the Balearics”.