EWN
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ISSUE NO. 1492
EWN FRONT EXTRA
Hidden riches ALICANTE PROVINCE’S submerged economy accounts for 27.6 per cent of commercial activity. Alicantinos working ‘on the black’ deprive the taxman of €8.9 billion a year, Hacienda has said.
Hopes dashed THE British National Party (BNP) cannot keep the €474,152 bequeathed to it by Alicante resident Joseph Robson. The legacy fell foul of the UK’s ban on foreign donations to political parties, judges said.
Rate hike BENIDORM has raised the IBI rates for the second time in three years. Householders will now have an extra €40 to €60 added to their annual bill.
Unique place BENIDORM’S four-star Riviera Beach, ranked 20th, is the only Valencia Region establishment in the ‘Top Hoteles de España’ listings.
6 - 12 FEBRUARY 2014
It’ll cost you!
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Emergency calls could hit public in pocket THE emergency services are going to charge for avoidable rescue operations. This recent regional government (Generalitat) edict is particularly aimed at people responsible for forest fires as well as potholers, climbers and hikers who ignore bad-weather warnings. They endanger the lives of the people they call to come and save them, said the regional government’s Interior department. It added: “They will have to compensate for the cost of mobilising the resources of essential services.” The edict applies to all services with the exception of ambulances - at the other end of the 112 emergency numbers. Practical jokers who raise false alarms must now pay the cost. So will anyone requiring rescue or evacuation from leisure activities
in restricted areas; for instance, swimming in a reservoir where there is a signposted ban. Any sporting event like motorracing which triggers a forest fire but lacks insurance cover will also have to pay up, according to the regional government directive. Hard-hitting regulations are
particularly important for preventing the wildfires that in 70 per cent of cases are caused by carelessness, the regional government said. Unintentional fire-raisers will pay €9,000 if the blaze is quickly extinguished but more than €26,000 if the operation takes a day.
Crime rate down but sexual violence up THE Valencian Community’s crime rate fell by 6 per cent last year. A total of 260,000 offences were reported in the region during 2013, averaging 700 a day, of which more than half were robberies. Thefts from homes fell by 10 per cent while both street robbery and car theft fell by 14 per cent.
Murder and manslaughter cases dropped by 37 per cent last year, although 40 people were involved in domestic violence, clashes between neighbours, settling of accounts and street brawls. The greatest increase was registered in crimes of sexual violence with 170 reported rapes, a 21 per cent rise on 2013.