One-hundred, and eighty tradesmen and suppliers have finally had their outstanding bills settled by the Almuñécar Town Hall; 1,300 bills totaling some 17 million euros dating from 2001 to 2011.

Whilst one debt holder finally saw a long-awaited, 750,000 euros another one, on the other end of the scale, will no longer have sleepless nights fretting over the two euros and 37 cents that was owed to him.

This pay-off has been possible thanks to the Central Government’s policy of forwarding funds to every town hall in the land to pay off its debts, and thus give a small breather to local businessmen around the country. The town halls still owe the money, of course, but now it is to the National Tax Office (Hacienda).

The process, in Almuñécar’s case, began on the 15th of March when they sent off a detailed report on what they owed and to whom. Since that original report, another 80 names were added to the list. Debt holders were given the choice of either receiving the money directly from Hacienda or via the Town Hall. Those that chose the former have already received a total of a little over a million euros.

Finally, Almuñécar was the last coastal town, amongst its neighbours to go through this process.

(News: Almunecar, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)