New Year's Eve and controversy. The president of the Alghero Foundation, Graziano Porcu, responds to the accusations of Alessandro Cocco, leader of the Brothers of Italy, who spoke about the delays in choosing the artist who will ferry the people of Alghero and their guests into the new year. "It is sad to read the press release from the former Tourism Councilor Cocco regarding the organization of the next New Year's Eve since, and from someone who shares with me a background in "Economics and Business Management", I would have expected a more careful analysis", Porcu immediately says. "In fact, we cannot risk compromising the financial balance of the Foundation and for this reason we are ready to change course", continues the president justifying the change of artist that had initially been planned, namely the showman Mika who, however, evidently has a fee that is too high for the finances of the Foundation.
"For us, the New Year's Eve event is undoubtedly of great importance, but we cannot afford to increase the debt, risking putting the budget of the following year in difficulty. A concrete example: last New Year's Eve involved an outlay of one and a half million euros with a direct impact on the resources allocated to the 2024 budget of five hundred thousand euros. This is a risk that we can no longer afford", clarifies the president. "Far be it for me to judge the management of the Foundation over the years, but I am surprised that the former Tourism Councilor of the previous administration, so concerned with the local economic fabric, did not ask himself how it is possible that until April, that is, until the Foundation will start to collect thanks to the Grotta di Nettuno, we cannot do a minimum planning, if not once the season has started, and due to the lack of cash flow, for marketing campaigns that help to deseasonalize given the lack of resources already committed for the night of the previous New Year's Eve".
According to Graziano Porcu, "not enough investment has been made in strengthening the staff structure, which is still lacking, especially in key roles such as that dedicated to communication and marketing". At the moment, the Board of Directors of the Alghero Foundation has not deliberated or taken any official decision regarding the realization, management or details of the New Year's Eve event. "All the information currently released by the press or reported by other sources is not supported by any official confirmation. The Alghero Foundation reserves the right to inform citizens and the media in a timely and transparent manner about all decisions that may be taken regarding the organization of the festivities and the New Year's Eve program", assures President Porcu.