The fall of the Government and the early Legislative Elections will not harm the progress of projects financed by Portugal 2030 and the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR). Passing this message on to mayors, but also to the contractors of interventions co-financed by European funds, was one of the objectives of the visit that Ana Abrunhosa, Minister of Territorial Cohesion, carried out on the 21st and 22nd, Tuesday and Wednesday, to the Algarve.
«Even when the Government is in management, when it comes to community funds, whether Portugal 2030 or PRR, we will be fully functional. In other words, when it comes to European funds, we will not be in management. This has already happened in the last elections, when the President of the Republic dissolved the Assembly of the Republic – when it came to community funds, we continued with full functions", said Ana Abrunhosa, on the sidelines of a visit she made yesterday to the Activities Center Occupational (CAO – Disability) of the Casa do Povo of the Municipality of Olhão, in Moncarapacho, and the Municipal Market of this town.
«We are talking about a unique moment for the country, in which the Portugal 2030 and PRR funds are crucial for us to continue making important investments in our economy. In this context, we have this tranquility. (…) Therefore, we will always be fully functional, because it is a unique opportunity for the country and the country will not grow if we do not make these investments», he added.
Another guarantee left was that there will be conditions to bring to fruition the projects of the CRESC Algarve 2020 Operational Program that still need to be completed.
«We already have the guarantee that Portugal 2020 will be carried out in full. What gives us this guarantee? It is the execution fee and it is the expense that we have already incurred and that will be shared with the Portugal 2020 funds", explained the Minister of Territorial Cohesion.
Ana Abrunhosa confessed that another objective of the visit is «to put pressure on the works to progress, but to put pressure in this sense in which we are giving guarantees that we continue to be fully functional with regard to European funds. Therefore, continue to invest as much as possible».
The minister also assured that part of the works that are not completed by the deadline set out in Portugal 2020 - which has already been postponed two years due to the pandemic - «can be carried over, because the rules allow it, to Portugal 2030» .
Another line of action that was followed by the Government was to direct projects “that possibly fit into the program, particularly in the new notice that we are going to open to schools”, to the PRR.
«The Government created a program with the National Association of Municipalities to recover 451 schools and will use 450 million from the PRR. This notice is ready, it will open very soon and, (…) we feel there is a need to pass on this information», he revealed.
As for coming to the Algarve, the minister said that, more than seeing works, the idea was «to talk to people and understand what we can continue to do to guarantee development in these territories», something she considers «very important».
«I'm leaving here [Moncarapacho] very satisfied, because I had the opportunity not only to speak with those responsible for the City Council, but also with the council presidents who are here and with the contractors themselves, so I'm leaving here feeling rested.
Photos: Hugo Rodrigues | Sul Informação
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