Warning about the waste contract
The Municipal Group of Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) has stated their profound concern about what they consider a high economic and legal danger in relation to the award of the contract for the collection of waste in Tarragona. In a recent statement, they said that the mayor, Rubén Viñuales, has submitted incorrect information on the possible compensations that the City Council should assume if the judgment of the courts favors the company that originally won the competition.
Divergences in compensation figures
According to ERC, the data provided by the municipal government seriously underestimate the economic impact that could arise from this contract. While Viñuales indicates that compensation would be about 2 million euros, ERC warns that this amount could be elevated to more than 20 million. This discrepancy arises from the interpretation of a recent judgment of the Supreme Court related to a similar case in Barcelona, which, according to Republicans, stipulates that compensation must be calculated over the entire contract and not just about industrial benefits.
Possible adverse scenarios
In addition, the ERC group has warned that if the award is made to another company with similar offenses, as indicated by the reports of the Contracting Court, an even more critical situation could be triggered. In this case, the City Council could be forced to compensate up to three companies, with a total cost that would exceed 60 million euros. ERC has compared this amount with the cost of building three car parks such as the ‘Jaume I’.
Need for updated reports
In addition to economic issues, ERC emphasized the lack of updated reports by the General Secretariat and the municipal intervention. The last available documents date from July 2024, when an attempt was made to award the contract to the second classified company. The Republicans consider urgent to update these reports, especially in the light of a new firm ruling in March 2025 and precautionary measures that could force the City Council to compensate if the initial winning company wins the court appeal.
It requires explanations to the mayor
In the face of this complex situation, ERC has decided to require explanations from Mayor Viñuales during the meeting of the spokesman board scheduled for today, April 23. In addition, Republicans have warned of the possible risk of prevarication by those responsible for the award, and emphasized that the city could have serious consequences for a decision that they consider to be reckless and poorly managed.