Faro boosts budget by 6,6 million to fight Covid-19

Measures "only happen because of the municipality's good financial situation"

The Chamber of Faro will approve a budget increase of 6,6 million euros, in a revision "designed to face the main effects of Covid-19 on the social fabric of the municipality and on the economy". 

In total, around 6,6 million will be incorporated into the budget to be distributed in different headings. The largest share of these funds (about 5,8 million) comes from the 2019 management balance, which amounts to about 9,6 million, and the smallest (about 776 thousand euros) comes from the increase in transfers from the Budget of State of 2020.

Thus, between current and capital expenditures, approximately 2,6 million will be applied directly to the fight against the pandemic. In addition to the measures already presented in the program "Faro with you" and delivery of bicycles and a car to the Health Center of Faro, new actions are now contemplated in the face of developments.

Faro has prepared the delivery of food baskets to the most disadvantaged, the acquisition and delivery of individual protection equipment to the social responses of the municipality and other entities (authorities), the acquisition of 100 hospital beds and other equipment to prepare rearguard responses in combat to the health crisis.

From these funds, an amount will also come out to provide a program to support the rental of families.

«This review also deserves special care in the municipality's associative milieu, reinforcing the municipal program of support for associations by 916.300 euros», says the Chamber of Faro.

In this review, the municipality will increase the budget for construction works in the municipality, in a total of 1,5 million.

"The idea is, in times of crisis, to prevent the county's economy from being completely neutralized, investing as much as possible in the redevelopment of public space and means of communication, remembering that many of these works are in charge of local and regional suppliers", says the autarchy.

Here, the investment focuses on several areas of action. Works from the Program stand out "Faro Requalify” as the rehabilitation of the iconic Celeiro do Convento de São Francisco (59 thousand euros), the redevelopment of several roads and streets of the rural and rural network (924 euros) and also the project for the execution of an overpass and pedestrian crossing for the Teatro das Figuras (78 thousand euros).

This chapter also includes the implementation of an urban bike path from the Municipal Theater to the hospital roundabout (165 euros) and the redevelopment of Largo do Pé da Cruz (385 euros), the continuation of the rehabilitation of sidewalks (150 euros) and the painting of roads and cycle paths (120 thousand euros).

The Municipality also has about 1,1 million for «strengthening funds for installations, construction materials and others».

The municipality also refers to the adjustments made in three tenders for works that were deserted, in December last year: the requalification of Alameda João de Deus (from the initial 650 thousand euros to 989 thousand euros), the Requalification of Mata do Liceu ( from 850 thousand euros to 1,2 million) and the Construction of the Cultural and Innovation Center in Bordeira (from 1,2 million to around 1,5 million euros).

With these three procedures, the Municipality ensures, with its own resources, a reinforcement of 1 million euros, in addition to the initial amount contracted with Caixa Geral de Depósitos (2,7 million).

This amount will be distributed over the years 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Still in the chapter of interventions, the Chamber also refers to “additional investments in the education sector, in which the Municipality assumed new competences in the current school year, and which essentially consist in the refurbishment of facilities (229.100,00 euros) and in the acquisition of school transport (52 thousand euros).

In this review, which "exceptionally happens before the approval of the previous year's accounts", the Municipality sought to strengthen the level of investment in several areas which, according to Rogério Bacalhau, "only happens due to the good financial situation of the municipality which, after 10 years of recovery is again healthy and able to make significant changes in people's lives».

However, the mayor of Faro anticipates that “only with hard work and unity will we be able to overcome the difficulties of this unprecedented crisis. It is necessary to join forces to defend the economy and the lives of our families and this work belongs to everyone».

"The Chamber gives this signal because it can, but what is needed is that we are all aware that we have to get closer to each other and above all be more cooperative, as no one lives alone."

In the future, «matters give the hands and work so that, when this passes, we can all make up for lost time and do more for our community».

The municipality also reserves almost 3,7 million euros to be incorporated in a future budget review, taking into account the adjustments that may prove necessary in the meantime depending on the evolution of the pandemic situation and its effects on the municipality's economy.

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