ADOPUMA denounces malpractice in beach concessions in Mallorca

The employers’ association warns of the existence of shell companies involved in serious cases of malpractice in other municipalities on the island.

The Association of Business Owners of Concessions and Temporary Service Operations in the Maritime-Terrestrial Public Domain of Mallorca (ADOPUMA Mallorca) has publicly warned of the risk of fraud that could affect the tender process for awarding beach concessions in Palma if control, solvency and compliance criteria are not strictly enforced.

The association has expressed concern about how the concessions for the five beaches included in the tender are being approached, and recalls that in other municipalities in Mallorca there have already been “very serious situations arising from business malpractice” that must not be repeated in the capital.

According to ADOPUMA Mallorca, in municipalities such as Calvià, Ses Salines and Son Servera a recurring pattern of behaviour has been detected involving the same business operator who, through shell companies created specifically to bid in public tenders, submits bids with very high concession fees, wins the contracts and then systematically fails to meet their obligations.

These companies not only fail to properly provide the awarded services, but also do not pay the agreed concession fees (rent) or the corresponding taxes, generating significant debts with public administrations. In the case of Calvià, the accumulated debt amounts to around €4 million, while in Son Servera and Ses Salines it reaches approximately €1.2 million in each municipality, indicative figures that highlight the scale of the problem. Contracts which, according to ADOPUMA, “to this day the administration itself has not been able to terminate.” It is, they add, “like having a squatter on the beaches who not only does not pay rent, but also keeps all the revenue from the entire season.”

ADOPUMA Mallorca warns that these precedents represent a “direct threat to the Palma beach tender”, as awarding concessions to this type of company could lead to a highly damaging scenario: beaches without effective concessions, without sunbeds or umbrellas in the middle of the summer season, causing serious harm to residents, tourists and the city’s image.

Nevertheless, the association stresses that this new tender also represents a great opportunity for Palma. ADOPUMA Mallorca believes that, if awarded with strict criteria of rigor, solvency and responsibility, the process could result in beaches that clearly commit to service quality, professionalisation of the sector and added value to the city’s tourism offering, strengthening Palma’s image as a leading tourist destination.

For all these reasons, ADOPUMA Mallorca has announced that it will challenge “any contracts that are not awarded with the necessary prudence and rigor”, especially if the direct or indirect participation of shell companies that have repeatedly failed in other municipalities on the island is detected. The clear links between them, they explain, “suggest that the intention of this beach business operator is to apply the same tactic that has yielded so much benefit over recent years in different municipalities in Mallorca.”

The association insists that its objective is not to block public tenders, but rather, on the one hand, “to guarantee transparent, solvent and high-quality management of a service that is essential to the coastline, the tourism economy and Palma’s public image,” and on the other, “to ensure that the sector it represents is not tarnished by the malpractice of a few.”