The Alicante Provincial Council when Carlos Mazón was president launched the now famous Consumption Bonus in 2022 to reduce the cost of the shopping basket and reactivate the economy of the municipalities of the province when inflation was skyrocketing. Between 2022 and 2024, the provincial entity has distributed 58 million euros in aid that the municipalities close with small businesses to subsidize 50% of the final consumer’s purchase. With this injection of money, stores sell more and citizens save half the bill. But the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency, according to the documentation in the possession of elDiario.es, has put this campaign in its sights, specifically due to the city councils’ hiring of the company Nexo Retail Alicante SL, an instrumental company created by the Federation of Commerce and SMEs of the Province of Alicante (Facpyme) on July 13, 2022.
Nexo Retail Alicante SL is managed by Carlos Baño, president of Facpyme and the Alicante Chamber of Commerce, and according to its 2023 accounts deposited in the commercial registry, it is a company created to provide service to the SMEs of the association. Baño is also a great friend of President Carlos Mazón, specifically “a brother,” as he defined himself. He has been the only businessman who has come out to publicly defend the current president of the Generalitat after his criticized management of DANA. At the Night of the Alicante Economy organized by the Alicante Chamber of Commerce, Baño claimed to feel “shame of others” for “rogue behavior that has tried to take political advantage of the catastrophe when the pain of the victims was greatest.” “There have been lies or unfounded statements made with the sole purpose of causing personal harm,” denounced the entrepreneur in reference to some of the accusations that have been made against his friend Carlos Mazón.
The Anti-Fraud Agency has requested several town councils that contracted with the company Nexo Retail Alicante SL. Specifically, it claims “the procedure used for the selection of Facpyme/ Nexo Retail Alicante SL as a collaborating entity/contractor of the Consumption Bonus Program during the year 2022 and 2023.” The investigators also want “the invoices or expenses approved and paid to the company Nexo Retail Alicante SL or to Facpyme during the years 2022 and 2023 within the framework of the Consumption Bonus Program or similar with an indication of the amount, concept attaching a copy of the Contract/Agreement of which derived from the same(s) and from the invoices/document supporting the referred expenses.” And finally, the officials of the agency now directed by Eduardo Beut also request form 347 of the association and the company directed by Carlos Baño and “the inclusion of expenses of the entities Facpyme or Nexo Retail Alicante SL in the supporting account for the obtaining the subsidy from the Provincial Council of Alicante for the consumption bonus program carried out by that administration during the 2022 and 2023 years.” City councils have ten days to provide this data to researchers.
The start of the activities of the Nexo Retail Alicante company on July 13, 2022 coincides with the launch of the Consumption Bonus Program launched by the former president of the Alicante Provincial Council Carlos Mazón, now in the Generalitat. This company invoiced services to the municipalities linked to the money injected by the provincial entity to the municipalities that requested it. The company that manages Baño has incredible numbers for an SME just starting out. In 2022 and with five months in operation, Facpyme’s instrumental company invoiced 676,896 euros and achieved profits of 512,966 euros. A profitability of more than 75%. In 2023 and with the year complete, the income of Nexo Retail Alicante fell to 371,627 euros, although the profits were 147,640 euros, according to the accounts deposited in the Commercial Registry. These two exercises are those investigated by the Anti-Fraud Agency.
The company Nexo Retail Alicante decided through its sole partner Facpyme that the benefits that, if applicable, the company obtained in the year ended December 31, 2023, “would not be distributed, but will remain as a remainder with the sole will to provide services to Facpyme partners.” Specifically and according to the firm’s official accounts, the services consist of organizing events and trade fairs; advertising and marketing campaigns; training and training; innovation and digitalization; implementation of innovative technologies to optimize commercial management and improve customer experience; and advice on business management and resource optimization. “Nexo Retail Alicante SL is committed to maintaining transparency in the management of benefits and providing periodic reports to both Facpyme and local merchants on the use of funds and the impact of commercial revitalization activities. Control and internal audit mechanisms will be established to ensure that the funds are used efficiently and effectively, in line with the strategic revitalization objectives,” the company also explains in its accounts.
This newspaper has contacted Facpyme for information and, although it has been attended to and has raised several questions, it has not received a response as of press time.
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