The government said on Thursday that it cannot afford the €156 million (ME) claimed by the municipalities as spending in the fight against covid-19, noting that only about 20 ME are left of the European Solidarity Fund.
“At the moment we are unable to respond to this question from the National Association of Municipalities (ANMP). The only opening we have, and which we have already passed, fell within the scope of the Solidarity Fund’s support from the European Union “, representing a total of 60 ME, said in an interview with Lusa, the Minister of Territorial Cohesion, Ana Abrunhosa, who oversees the municipalities.
“We cannot comply with this request for 156 ME, but our margin is to exhaust the package of 60 million in European Union rescue funds, these are resources that come directly from the European Commission and that also came in an emergency situation. added.
A total of 156 ME are claimed by the municipalities from the government as the total expenditure they had in the fight against covid-19, according to an assessment by the Court of Auditors, an amount not included in the state budget for 2023 (OE2023), as expected.
Ana Abrunhosa explained to Lusa that tenders had been opened for the available amount of 60 ME, of which about 40 ME had already been allocated, so “the margin of the government will be to understand how it can still transfer about 20 ME “.
“In urgent and emergency situations – and well – the municipalities have used all their flexibility. But often this later does not ensure the formality requirements of documentation that we have if we intend to support this expenditure with European funds. And that justifies the fact that we have opened and approved a support of 60 ME and so far only the expenses that do not reach the 40 ME have been paid,” statedstressing that “without value judgments”, some of what was submitted with the application and approved “was not paid exactly to the rigor” required in the procedures and documentation that were not regulated in a process of “urgency and emergency, as was the case with the case of covid-19”.
Regarding the costs incurred in the fight against covid-19 by the parishes, which have not yet received support, the Secretary of State for Local Government, Carlos Miguel, emphasized that the government finds a formula, within the scope of the Directorate – General for Local Authorities (DGAL), to present to the National Association of Parishes (Anafre).
DGAL benefits, through the OE, from funds for technical and financial cooperation programs with the municipalities, amounting to six million euros, and from this amount a solution may be adapted for the parishes.
“We will have to open announcements and rules will have to be made that are the same or identical to those for the municipalities. There is no reason to be very different. And thus parishes can apply and the applications will be appreciated by CCDR [Comissões de Coordenação e Desenvolvimento Regional] and will run their normal course,” he explained.
Parliament today, in the context of the debate in the specialty of the proposal of OE2023, hears the National Association of Parishes (Anafre) and the Minister responsible for the municipalities, Ana Abrunhosa, with the final global vote on the document, expected on November 25.
Source: DN
