Figures on regional debt set to be released

The residents of Castilla-La Mancha will finally get some truthful hard figures concerning the financial health of their region. After weeks of discrepancies over levels of debt and unpaid bills in Castilla-La Mancha between the Popular Party (PP) and the Socialists, regional premier María Dolores de Cospedal is expected to meet with Economy Minister Elena Salgado on Friday, when they will try to put to rest speculation over the precise figures.

Castilla-La Mancha's outgoing Socialist premier, José Barreda, had said that he was handing over the region to De Cospedal with a deficit of 1.7 percent of regional GDP. However, the incoming PP regional leader told reporters this week that the amount was more than four percent.

Leandro Esteban, the region's spokesman and labor affairs representative, said that the precise figure will be released today even if Salgado and De Cospedal decide to postpone their meeting, because "the citizens of the region must know what their current financial situation is."

For her part, María Luisa Araújo, the region's former financial affairs chief, told EL PAÍS that Castilla-La Mancha's unpaid bills up until June 30 have soared to 1.742 billion euros, up from the 700 million euros that was owed until April 30.