The forest sapper brigade that today showed its service to Prime Minister António Costa, in Monchique, has been working for a year, but has not yet been paid by the Government to the Barlavento Algarvio Forest Owners Association (Aspaflobal).
The brigade is one of 20 existing across the country, created last year by the Government after a national tender, one of three in the Algarve and the only one in the region that was formed by an association of owners, since the remaining two belong to the Chambers of São Brás de Alportel and Aljezur.
"We have been working for a year, they gave us the jeep, but there is still no protocol and, above all, there is still no money", revealed Emílio Vidigal, president of Aspaflobal, in statements to Sul Informação.
“We do not stop working, wages are up to date, social security and insurance as well. But everything comes out of our pockets, because we have not yet seen a penny of the 40 thousand euros of annual contribution from the State», he added.
Emílio Vidigal said he didn't want to "raise questions, much less political ones", not least because, he added, the secretary of state has already assured him that the problem "will be resolved soon". And, until now, who has been paying the brigade's bills is the Monchique Chamber. Therefore, Aspaflobal, "as a matter of courtesy", even lent three of the five members of his brigade to demonstrate the work of clearing the forest that marked the beginning of Prime Minister António Costa's visit to Monchique this afternoon.
Mayor Rui André took the opportunity to underline the enormous effort of his local authority, which this year, just in the management of fuel strips and cleaning around population agglomerates, will spend 1,5 million euros.
The area of the county, all in the mountains, of almost 400 square kilometers, makes the task even more complicated, he added. «It is a huge area», admitted António Costa.
Rui André also announced that the Monchique Chamber, like the others in the country, waited “until yesterday, the last day of the deadline” for the forest clearing to see what was actually done by the owners. "The work throughout the year is essential, but now it is time to see what is not done and move forward immediately with these cleanings," added the mayor.
After watching the demonstration of the cleaning of a strip, the head of Government, accompanied by the Minister of Internal Administration Eduardo Cabrita, by two secretaries of State, the one for Forests and the one for Civil Protection, by the president of Civil Protection, by the district commander of Faro and also by mayors, deputies and other individuals, he visited the lookout post at the top of Madrinha, one of which, throughout the Algarve region, has been in operation since early May and will remain in place until November.
António Costa was keen to point out that "the investment that has been made by owners, by their associations, by municipalities, throughout the country, is absolutely impressive".
The Monchique mayor replied that “we have never found so much openness on the part of people to carry out this work of clearing the forest as now. People have realized that they are not doing the City or the Government a favor, but themselves and their families.”
"There is a cultural change here, everyone is aware that what they are doing is to protect a common heritage, but also their own heritage", reinforced the prime minister.
As for the deadline, António Costa stressed that "our goal is not to collect fines, but for us to have a safer territory". "This is like going to the doctor regularly, it's a new routine to establish in the life of the country."
The last part of the official visit took place at the Monchique heliport, where vehicles and equipment were profiled, as well as firefighters, municipal civil protection, forest sappers, GNR (SEPNA and GIPS), ICNF, army , which are part of the Rural Fire Fighting Device (DECIR) of the Algarve.
All this device, by the way, had already been presented a week ago, at the opening of the AlgarSafe fair, in Portimão, then only with the presence of the Minister of Internal Administration.
After reviewing the men and women lined up at parade and seeing all the equipment on display, namely the helicopter parked in Monchique, António Costa ended up underlining the «extraordinary work» of the Monchique municipality, but also «the immense work that is being done. be done throughout the country and that must continue». The prime minister insisted that "there is no deadline to clean up, it is an activity that has to be continued, if it wasn't done yesterday, it has to be done today."
"The desire of all of us is that the intervention is not necessary, and, if necessary, that it takes place as quickly as possible", concluded the Head of Government.
Photos: Elisabete Rodrigues | Sul Informação
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