The government announced this Saturday, in Pombal, that it intends to have the financial support processes for homes affected by Storm Kristin completed by June 30th and acknowledged that there is a long delay.
“We conclude that, unfortunately, for citizens with damaged homes, the money is taking a long time to arrive. Our objective is to speed up the process as much as possible”, stated the Minister of Economy and Territorial Cohesion, Manuel Castro de Almeida, making a “commitment to completing the process by June 30th”.
When they are marked two months after the passage of the government official stated that, “of the 30 thousand applications presented, only 3,200 have been decided, just over 10%, and only four million euros have been paid when they are available in the CCDR [Comissão de Coordenação e Desenvolvimento Regional] of the Center and Lisbon and Tagus Valley 250 million euros”.
Manuel Castro de Almeida recognized the “difficulties that some municipalities“ have to “do damage assessments”so an agreement was reached with the different orders to “make technicians available”.
“More than 750 technicians are available to help the municipal councils or to contract with the municipal councils this work of determining the value of the charges”, he added, adding that other municipalities are also making human resources available, such as the municipalities of Lisbon and Porto.
In a meeting, in Pombal, in the district of Leiria, with business associations, with the presidents of the Intermunicipal Communities of the regions affected by the calamity, local authorities, among other entities, to assess the situation of financial support from the State, the governor stated that they were “other ways of solving problems and speeding up the process” were discussed.
The minister said that “in the last week there has already been a very different pace from previous weeks“, although there are still “adjustments to be made in the relationship between municipal councils and the CCDR”.
“Procedures have been agreed here to better adjust the verification of possible fraud, which is an issue that must be addressed. This operation needs better coordination between the chambers and the CCDR”, he informed.
In the coming days it will also be “an internet platform” available to citizensthrough which it will be possible to monitor the “amount of support being given in each municipality”.
The minister also assured that “the money is quickly reaching affected companies“.
“1,393 million euros are already available for around six thousand companies in the affected areas.”
Manuel Castro de Almeida stated that municipal councils will have “a early twelfththerefore, one-twelfth, of the money they receive annually”, to deal with “the great burdens and great expenses” they incurred from these calamities.
“It will be requested in April so that it can be paid in April or May. We will make advance payments to city halls in the amount of R$75 million to cover expenses that have already been incurred or are now in progress”, he added.
