Lurdes Imaz: “Catering companies have been enriched with the parents’ share”
- Spokeswoman for the Association of Fathers and Mothers of the Basque Country Herria (EHIGE), Lurdes Imaz, spoke about the corruption of catering companies. Imaz stressed that this is a "very serious" issue and that the situation is sensitive.
Eight catering companies serving food in CAV public centres have been fined EUR 18.4 million, after the Basque Competition Authority found it proven that they distributed the market and had irregular behaviour during ten courses (2003-2011 and 2013-2015). The following companies are fined: Eurest (EUR 6,640,713), Auzo Lagun Kooperatiba (EUR 6,108,446), Cantabrian Gastronomic (EUR 26,662), Baska (EUR 1,546,226), Tamar Las Arenas (EUR 1,108,347), Magui (EUR 775,827), Goñi (EUR 522,879) and Eurest
Journalist Eider Olazar interviewed Lurdes Imaz at the Info7, and according to her words, "this shows that over the past ten years families have been paying more than we were; parents have been raising the fee to pay and have been enriching it with that fee. All this will have to be reviewed.” In addition, EHIGE expects the money from the fine to be invested in the dining rooms of the Basque public school.
Responsibility of the Basque Government
The spokesman has also expressed concern that, apart from one, the responsibility for food in school canteens remains with the same companies, “because it is the fined companies that are managing our children’s canteens”. And he stressed that the responsibility of the Basque Government in this whole matter is great, because it is the one that provides the service, because it decides to whom it is awarded, and ultimately it is up to him to ensure that the action is carried out correctly, “taking control of public money rather than spending it”.
For other management
This is a request from EHIGE, for the Basque Government to change the regulations to allow for another management in school canteens. According to Imaz, where educational establishments or associations of parents so wish, the Basque Government should give the possibility to manage the dining room on its own, with the same status and support as the other educational centres – since centres that do not work with catering companies do not receive subsidies, in practice forcing public schools to the catering system. It has also criticised the fact that the current form of management is very rigid, as it does not allow action to be taken with local products and producers and, therefore, with the local economy.
EHIGE has appeared to ask for a new management: We demand changes in the management of school canteens.
