The current stage of public salaries
Catalonia, with a public system that covers health, education and infrastructure, allocates a significant part of its resources to high wages for senior officials. The Generalitat currently has 217 senior officials that receive between 95,000 and 140,000 euros a year, a figure that does not cease to surprise.
Salvador Illa and the list of counselors
The leader of this list is Salvador Illa, who receives 140,300 euros a year, which positions him as the regional president with the highest salary in Spain. Its 16 counselors, all of them with a fixed salary of 124,400 euros, add a total cost that exceeds 2.1 million euros a year.
Other astronomical charges and salaries
Apart from the directors, the Generalitat also has 190 charges with salaries ranging from 95,000 to 99,000 euros, including figures such as the General Director of the Mossos d’Esquadra, Josep Lluís Trapero. It is noteworthy that this structure includes positions with tasks such as the Government Delegation in Senegal, which receives more than 95,000 euros a year.
The economic impact of superstructure
The total sum of the salaries of these senior officials exceeds 21.5 million euros a year. In addition, there are another 140 executives who charge between 72,000 and 88,000 euros, which raises the total cost of the Generalitat in salaries to more than 30 million euros for just over 350 people.
Public sector managers and their remuneration
In addition to these senior officials, the Generalitat also pays high salaries to 200 executives of public entities, with salaries ranging from 85,000 to 124,000 euros. Key figures such as the President of the Generalitat Railways or the Director of TV3 enjoy remuneration that equal those of the Government’s counselors.
Reflections on the need for this strategy
With a total of about 550 people who charge high salaries, the annual cost exceeds 50 million euros. The question that many are asked is whether this structure is needed and if these senior officials are best to meet the challenges that Catalonia presents in areas such as health, education and infrastructure.
The call to reflection and change
The current situation not only reflects a matter of salaries, but also raises a debate on the efficiency and management capacity of senior officials. It is time to reconsider if this superstructure is the solution or if it would be necessary to restructure the problems that affect Catalonia with the urgency they require.
