Tough times are looming for ex-pats living in the sun, says BRIAN HAYHURST, former Huddersfield gymnast and landlord, who has lived in Spain with his wife, Elaine, since 1998
AS Spain continues to confront its debt and unemployment problems there have been a number of developments introduced to raise much needed cash.
In the Costa del Sol region there are a few things which are bound to annoy many ex-pats. You could identify some of these issues as ‘good’, ‘bad’ and downright ‘ugly’.
Cash-strapped town halls are now enforcing new rigorous laws and regulations, some with fines which are bound to aggravate both Spanish and foreign ex-pat residents.
First the bad news:
Anyone caught smoking in a vehicle (driver or passenger) or with items in the back seat can receive a 300 euro on-the-spot fine.
Those with UK drivers’ licences must replace them with the Spanish version with a medical certificate.
Any new changeover of a restaurant or bar can expect a huge list of corrective items to be put right before a licence is granted. A couple of friends took over a bar and without notice 600 euros were deducted from their bank account for health checks.
Last July saw the end of free prescriptions in the region, creating a slump at chemists. The knock-on effect is a crisis for qualified pharmacists, many of whom are joining the dole queue.
Now the ugly!
The Spanish government has passed a somewhat Draconian law attempting to get its hands on any hidden assets which could make life for many foreign and national residents a whole lot more complicated and perilous within the next two months.
By April 30 all residents in Spain (those living here 183 days per year) must declare all their offshore assets, accounts and properties on Form 720 which they say is ‘for information purposes’!
They are also now imposing a 20% tax on lottery wins over 2,500 euros. Lawyers and accountants are working overtime to resolve many queries proposed on the electronic tax declaration form which, incidentally, has yet to be seen.
Recently here in Mijas the beleaguered town hall is demanding that all homes over 25 years old must be inspected by architects and have defects put right.
Reports, subsequent licences and all works must be paid for by the owners. Any plots seen to be untidy with litter or debris etc must be cleaned up, otherwise authority workers will move in, clear the site and charge it to the owner – up to 3,000 euros.
There must be no noise made after 3pm on Saturdays and Sundays – even lawnmowers!
Now the good news.
Sierra Nevada ski resort (two hours from the coast), is again beating records for attendance and hotel bookings, etc.
The Labour Ministry reported a record drop of 41,000 in unemployment in this region during the latter part of 2012, although the overall employment picture nationally is dire.
Near to where we live the Fuengirola Tourist Information Office was pleased to report excellent tourism results (5% up on 2011) despite 2012 being the hardest since the economic crisis began.
Malaga Airport also boasts a continued massive influx of passengers and Jet2 are to offer 65% more seats to its eight UK destinations.
Fuengirola, as with other coastal towns, is hammering down on illegal street traders and are delighted to announce that 21 ‘Looky Looky’ men have been arrested with over 16,000 seizures of bootleg items. We recently sat with our family at a seaside cafe bar and were approached by more than 20 illegal vendors in one hour – what a pain!
The Mayan Monkey chocolate factory in Mijas was fascinating for our grandchildren, nine-year-old Jack and five-year-old Isla. They learned about the history and manufacture of chocolate, selected ingredients and created their own bars.
The Tree Top Adventure Park entertained them along with dozens of other children and adults for three hours with various levels of challenging obstacles – safely clipped on, occasionally 30ft up!
But one visit which turned out to be disappointing was the village of Juzcar which was specially painted blue for the filming of The Smurfs movie in 2011. Sadly, after a long and winding complex journey we found the place almost deserted and in much need of repair.
And, finally, bulldozers have moved into the front garden of Andalucía’s favourite son and Hollywood star Antonio Banderas to remove a large illegal section granted by the former Marbella Mayor Jesus Gil. This will allow work to start on a new sea front promenade. Happy days!
