José Coelho / Lusa
State investment in fire management 25% below expected, reports a report published on Tuesday. Farmers blame lack of “capacity, skills or will” and extinction of the Ministry of Agriculture.
The expense executed of the Rural Fireworks Integrated Management System (Sgifr) between 2020 and 2024 is 25% below expectedbut the means involved have never been so high, it was announced on Tuesday.
According to an Agency for Integrated Rural Fire Management (Agif), “In the period 2020-2024, the expense executed in Sgifr totaled 2,427 million euros, 25% below (-808 million euros) of the forecast (3,235 million euros) in planning instruments ”, which include the National Plan for Integrated Rural Fire Management (PNGIFR) and National Action Program (PNA).
According to the report, which includes values since 2017, 21% of the expense refers to incentives for “support for agriculture in vulnerable territories and livestock production linked to fuel management”, 16% to the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (Anepc) and volunteer firefighters, 16% for the reinforcement of Air Force means, 15% for “surveillance, surveillance, investigation and suppression” and suppression. 15% for the Nature and Forest Conservation Institute.
In the case of Anepc, there is an increase of 58% of human resources since 2017 and an increase of 62% of vehicles in the same period, the report says. In total, the expense for the Civil Protection Authority had in 2024 “an increase of 186% compared to 2017, from about 36 to 103 ME”.
Regarding the humanitarian associations of voluntary firefighters and the military air device, the values have doubled since 2017. In the case of GNR, there was a “90% increase in 2024, compared to 2017 (from 48m to 91ME)”, can still be read in the document.
Agif was created in 2018 to “accelerate the transition to integrated rural fireworks” and is “the entity responsible for planning, strategic coordination and SGIFR evaluation”.
The funds accounted for by AgIF result from the expenses of the various ministries and state services over the period under analysis.
State “has no capacity, skills or will”
The Confederation of Farmers from Portugal (CAP) defended on Tuesday that the State has no “ability, competences or willingness” to prevent fires from recurring and accused the government of disregarding sector organizations.
“[…] The Portuguese State, regardless of the government, the mayors or the public officials in office, has no capacity, competencies or willingness to prevent this from repeating, ”said CAP President Álvaro Mendonça and Moura, in response to Lusa.
The former ambassador stressed that Portugal never had so many civil servants, but at the same time presents a “Weak ability to plan and intervene in the territory”.
For this situation, as pointed out, it also contributed the, started in previous governments.
Despite praising the speed with which the executive of Luís Montenegro adopted, he condemned that he had forgotten Organizations and associations of producers and farmers, who said they could underline a key role.
“Disregarding the role of local organizations and associations is a clear sign that once again, while the country burns, it is the fresh reality of ministerial offices dictating the agenda of a song that will always be challenged,” he insisted.
On the other hand, the CAP mentioned that the criteria for the assignment of compensation must be equal to everyone and that the chambers have no technical ability to evaluate agricultural and forest losses. This responsibility, according to the Confederation, is up to the Coordination and Regional Development Commissions (CCDR), in collaboration with the organizations of farmers and producers.
Regarding compensations for the loss of housing, Álvaro Mendonça and Moura considered that it is necessary to safeguard that “the idea that insurance is dispensable is not crystallized.”
Already on measures such as exemption of one year of social security contributions to companies affected by fireworks or the possibility of resorting to the regime of reducing or suspension of employment contracts (lay-off), Mendonça and Moura said they could have a momentary minimum effectbut little can against what companies and populations in the interior have already internalized: “for the year there are more (fires).”
The fireworks have already caused four dead, including a firefighter, and several injuries, some gravity, and totally or partially destroyed first and second housing houses, as well as agricultural and livestock explorations and forest area.
Portugal activated the European Civil Protection mechanism, which has two Fire Boss aircraft, a Super Puma helicopter and two Canadair aircraft. According to provisional official data, until August 23, about 250,000 hectares in the country, more than 57,000 of which only began in Arganil.
