The National Monitoring Commission (CNA) of the PRR (Recovery and Resilience Plan) confirmed on Monday what has long been suspected: the program to purchase computers to supply to schools and distribute to students and teachers is going wrong. The goal was to purchase 600,000 computers.
“The situation of this component in the current semester is considered worrying,” reads the 2022 report presented this Wednesday by the president of the CNA, Pedro Dominguínhos. “The provision of computers to everyone (students and teachers) has proved very difficult to meet, verifying that the main reason for the non-supply of computers is the refusal of a large number of families to receive them, plus the fact that, in some schools, there are logistical difficulties in delivering equipment, a process that involves configuring them for each user and recording each delivery on a central platform,” the report said.
For example, it is “recommended to establish an alternative timetable for the implementation of local area networks in schools, as well as the strengthening of the logistics for the provision of PCs by schools and the reassessment of the accountability statement required of families for the provision of computers”. And “it is also recommended that the process of dematerializing exams and school manuals be streamlined so that students and teachers are encouraged to use their computers on a daily basis”.
In a more serious situation (“critical”) comes another investment, the construction of a light metro line Odivelas-Loures (read column opposite). Another situation that needs “monitoring” occurs in Health. “The transfer of health responsibilities to the municipalities is not complete” and “despite the fact that more than 70 municipalities have already signed the transfer documents, this is a situation that is considered critical”, commitment asks “to the highest level”.
The report highlights eight “positive aspects” in the use of funds (total amount: €16.64 billion) and lists thirteen “aspects to be improved and recommendations”. One is to “speed up” the review of applications. Of the 69 investments analysed, more than half raise concerns: 21 need “necessary monitoring”, 13 are in a “worrying” condition and two are considered “critical”. 33 are “aligned to schedule”.
The two “critical” cases
Of the 69 investments analyzed, 33 are “in line with planning”, 21 with “necessary monitoring”, 13 in a “worrying state” and two are considered “critical”, said CNA-PRR president Pedro Dominguinhos. Here are the two “critical” cases.
Measures to support capitalization
“Despite the openness of the new board of BPF [Banco Português de Fomento] and the momentum shown after he took office, the low demand that non-financial companies were eligible for the strategic recapitalization program; the delay in reviewing eligible applications in Window A; the delay in launching other capitalization support measures; the small number of contracts concluded; the low amount of payments made; and the lack of concrete investment measures in the financial literacy of entrepreneurs and managers of SMEs and mid-caps places these measures in a CRITICAL situation, requiring guardianship intervention.”
Surface Light Rail Odivelas-Loures
“As for the Odivelas-Loures Surface Metro, there was a change in the route compared to the initial proposal, resulting from the discussion with the respective municipalities. This meant a longer negotiation, in addition to the increase in the route, with an increase in the number of kilometers of tunnel. On the other hand, since there is an intervention in the public space, a responsibility of the municipalities, and which is not foreseen in the PRR, must the necessary funding be found to carry out the project This project still lacks an environmental impact assessment by part of the APA [Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente]. This investment is considered CRITICAL and requires guardianship intervention given the increase in the route, the need to find funding from the municipalities and its non-existence until the time of the environmental impact statement.”
Source: DN
