An opposition party belonging to Motril Town Council asks for the tax paid by banks on ATMs be increased to 900 euros per year per machine.

The party Spokeswoman for IU-Equo, Inma Omiste, considers that this is justified because bank branches oblige their clients to use the ATMs not allowing them to be attended to within the banks.

She also pointed out that Spanish banking reported the highest earnings in the last decade, jointly declaring 19,866 million in profit yet despite this the banking sector continues to cut back on personnel and branches and even reducing hours open to the general public whilst reserving more time for large companies and high-income clients.

Against this background she reminds us that the Spanish banking sector owes the public purse 64,000 million that was extended to it during the financial crisis as a rescue package yet the sector continues to take commissions on banking old-age pensions, handling utility bills and even on savings accounts.

For all of the above reasons she considers that banks should ‘step up to the plate’ during these complicated times and make an effort in the name of social responsibility and solidarity towards those members of society most in need.

Editorial comment: everybody knows that the banks will pass on any expenses to its customers, so a rise in ATM tax will come out of individuals’ accounts. Furthermore, no government has dared tackle Spanish banking, not even the judicial system: a clear demonstration of the latter was when the Supreme Court backtracked not 24 hours later on a sentence that forced banks to return all monies charged owing to the clausula suelo on mortgages.

(News: Motril, Costa Tropical, Granda, Andalucia)