The Government of Spain will cover all applications that meet the requirements established in the call for the granting of compensation to the maritime and air transport of goods, with origin or destination in Melilla made in the year 2024, without established budgetary limit.
The Director of the Functional Area of Development of the Government Delegation in Melilla, Juan José Martín, in statements to Televisión Melilla, has pointed out that in the previous call the budget for this purpose was raised to 125,000 euros - although the aid granted was worth approximately 80,000 euros. However, “this year having been declared expandable, it will cover all applications that meet the requirements established in the call, without established budgetary limit”.
As Martín explained, this aid consists of a subsidy of up to 50% of the costs associated with the transport of certain products such as products originating or processed in Melilla, raw materials and intermediate products, also called “inputs”, necessary for the production of certain products, provided that they are not in Melilla, the return of goods in stock from imports destined for consumption made by small and medium-sized commercial companies (SMEs) of our city, dangerous goods from Melilla or the rest of the European Union or waste generated in Melilla.
“This budget increase reaffirms once again the commitment of the Government of Spain to boost the local economy and support the business fabric of the city,” said the Director of the Functional Area of Development, who recalled that, until two years ago, this transport was not subsidized and stressed that “this reduction in costs will directly benefit the business fabric of Melilla so that it is less burdensome in terms of dynamizing its business and putting this type of goods at the disposal of all citizens.”
“Living outside the peninsula entails extra costs, so the Ministry of Transport, being aware of this, has carried out this measure that also benefits Ceuta, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands, that is, the extra-island territories of Spain,” he said.
Compensations up to 50%
In terms of the expenses covered by this call - up to 50% - are those related to freight and the expenses related to it, such as the administrative management or issuance of tickets and the surcharges for special freight; the costs of handling the goods in the ports or airports of origin and destination, that is, the activities of loading, stowing, unloading, disposing and transhipment of goods that are carried out entirely within the service area of the port and that have direct and immediate connection with a specific ship.
It also covers port or airport charges applied to goods transported, both at ports/airports of origin and destination; security charges if any; or the surcharge for increased fuel cost, where applicable.
As explained by Martín, on July 31, the Official State Gazette (BOE) and the national database of subsidies published the resolution opening the deadline for requesting compensation for the associated costs of freight transport for the city of Melilla. The deadline for submitting applications, which must be done electronically, is until August 31.