The Mayor of Nerja, José Alberto Armijo, has announced that the Central Government is still behind in getting the town’s sewage system sorted out. The Mayor said that Madrid has now opened the process for the selection of ‘economic proposals’ at the Ministry of the Environment.

All told, 14 bids had been made, ranging from the most advantageous from the Administrations point of view, which was put forward by the UTE Corvian-Corviam and Isolux for 19,210,773 euros; to the most expensive, submitted by Sando, Construcciones Sánchez Domínguez and Abeinsa for 22,000,000 euros, (not including IVA). The ceiling had been set at 34,390,930 euros, with the 21% IVA.

So, when the ministry men have finished examining the bids a decision will be made, or as the Mayor put it, “The light at the end of this very long tunnel is getting closer and closer.”

By the way, ‘UTE’ stands for ‘Union Temporal de Empresas,’ and describes one or two provisional companies teaming up to cover a major contract. Learn something new every day, right?

Prior to the contract being awarded, the companies will have to draw up the definitive project design, having three months to do so, whilst including the proposed technical elements that have been sent in by the Ministry.

The main objective from the Mayor’s point of view is to have the water off Nerja beaches free of untreated sewage by 2015, and thus be able to kiss goodbye to further fines handed down by the European Union.

(News: Nerja, Axarquia, Costa del Sol, Malaga, Andalucia)