The Nerja Caves have become very much a party political issue in recent times and the ruling Partido Popular has fired the opening salvo against the PSOE controlled Nerja Caves Foundation in the latest round of disputes.
The financial reports of the Nerja Caves Foundation for 2008 have just been published and the PP members of the Foundation have voted against approving the accounts.
Spokesman for the governing PP, José Miguel García, has been critical of the management of the Nerja Caves Foundation. He contends that the current manager (and leader of the opposition PSOE) Ángel Ramírez promised to ‘clean up’ the situation regarding the caves when he took control of the Foundation some four years ago, but has failed to do so.
He believes that the current economic crisis, coupled with poor administration on the part of Ramírez and an unhealthy reliance on debts as a means of financing projects, has left the Nerja Caves Foundation in a difficult financial position. He is also not happy that the Foundation decided to cut the €660,000 aid that previously came to the town each year.
José Miguel García also suggested that Ángel Ramírez was not able to properly concentrate on his duties as manager of the Nerja Caves Foundation, for which he is paid €60,000, as he is also leader and spokesman for the Opposition PSOE on the Nerja Council.
There was also criticism of a ‘total waste of money’ in the management of the caves, specifically relating to ‘hospitality’. Last year, €12,000 was spent on official or ceremonial meals and €104,000 in income was ‘lost’ because of the practice of giving away tickets to the Nerja Caves Festival to preferred individuals rather than selling them to the general public.
As many, if not more, tickets are being given away as are sold, and with the concerts costing more and more each year to stage, receipts are actually becoming less and less. No wonder concert tickets are like gold dust!
Another bone of contention is the new History Museum. García pointed out that although Ángel Ramírez states that he is still pursuing several options for financing the next stage of the museum project, he has still not managed to raise one cent of the necessary funds, despite being a member of the same political party in power at both the provincial and regional level.
Of course, we can expect a response to this criticism, party politics being what they are and the fact that the Nerja Council has, in the past, made clear its desire to take over control of the Nerja Caves Foundation.
Maybe it is time for the Nerja Caves Foundation to be under the control of an independent manager, one who has no affiliations to any of the major political parties and who can stand up to the politicians, of whichever persuasion, for the benefit of the caves and the community.