Spain: 0,7% of income tax can be devoted to the milieu

The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and the NGOs being part of the Spanish Council of NGOs of Social Action have signed a framework agreement that raises to 0,7% the percentage of income tax devoted to social projects. It will be the Spanish Parliamentary groups that will have to put this agreement into practice by approving this allocation when adopting the general budget for 2007 so that in the next income-tax return this can be implemented. Until now, citizens could devote to social projects a percentage of 0,54239% of income tax, which last year amounted to more than 127 million ?, which the Spanish Government estimates that next year could raise to 170 millions. With those 127 millions, 863 social projects were developed in Spain by 324 NGOs. In addition, this agreement includes for the first time environmental-friendly projects related to the quality of life. The other projects, as in previous years, are expected to combat poverty and social exclusion and to care for populations such as the elderly and the dependant, migrants and asylum seekers, youngsters, children and families. www.mtas.es