The delegate of the Government in Asturias, Delia Losa, has presented the Report ‘Complying’ of accountability of the action of the Government of Spain in Asturias corresponding to 2022. It is the continuation of the presentation of the report at the national level by the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, at the end of last year and that reveals that until December 31, 98% of the commitments of the Government were already activated and that their degree of compliance is 66.8%.
In her speech today, Delia Losa presented the “overwhelming” figures of the projects promoted by the Government of Spain in 2022 and that show that “Asturias does count” for the Central Executive: “We may lack some perspective to be able to assess them, but it is undeniable that the impact of the policies of the Government of Spain in Asturias is absolutely unquestionable.”
In this sense, he has framed “the excellent management” of the Government presided over by Pedro Sánchez in order to minimize the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic first and the war in Ukraine later. The delegate of the Government recalled that “one of the fundamental objectives of the Executive is to make policies to protect the people and sectors most affected by economic setbacks, achieving a fair and social recovery.”
An advance for which the support of European funds is being “fundamental”. The most recent figures tell us that Asturias has already reached 1.172 billion euros: 977 million through the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan – just half transferred to the autonomous community and the other half directly executed by the State – and 195 million from WORD funds. The objective of the Plan is to continue investing in the modernization, digitalization and reindustrialization of the productive fabric, in infrastructure, and in the promotion of projects and investments to promote territorial cohesion.
Measures to support the working class
In 2022 the Government of Spain increased non-contributory pensions and the Minimum Vital Income by 15%. Social benefit, the latter, which already reaches almost 34,000 people in Asturias. Pensions rose in 2022 according to the CPI by 2.5%, a measure that benefits more than 300,000 pensioners in Asturias, and have risen again in 2023 by 8.5%. “With this government the average pension has risen by 270 euros to reach 1,367 euros, and in the case of maintaining the increase proposed by the previous PP government the increase would have been 14 euros,” the government delegate calculated.
Delia Losa has highlighted other measures launched in 2022 by the central executive to alleviate the effects of the Ukrainian war on the economy, such as the free payment of Renfe, which has reached 48,000 people in Asturias, the 20 cent discount on fuels that is extended in 2023 for the sectors most affected by the price rise, or the direct aid received by the primary sector: EUR 12 million in direct aid for the 1,536 dairy farmers, EUR 7 million for the 6,132 meat farmers, and also significant financial support for the 248 fishing vessels operating in Asturias that have benefited from aid of between EUR 1,550 and 35 000.
Infrastructure
The government delegate considers that 2022 will be remembered as the year in which the train traveled for the first time in the tunnels of the Pajares variant in high speed, “and 2023 will be the year in which a work that has cost almost 3.9 billion euros enters into service and that is one of the largest engineering works in the country.”
The Complying report confirms the support for the Proximity Plan, which already mobilizes 574 million euros in Asturias between works executed, under execution or under study. Last year began the renovation work of the Gijón-Laviana line or the improvement of Infiesto-Cabezón and the Langreo basement was unblocked, with a state disbursement of 47 million euros, “thanks to coordination between administrations”. At the end of 2022, the informative study for the railway underground of Avilés was also presented, with a planned investment of 204 million euros.
On roads, Delia Losa recalled that in 2022 five kilometers entered service between Salas and El Regueirón of the A-63 with an investment of 8.5 million euros, and the works on that motorway advance: “We are still working on the containment of the Casazorrina Argayo to be able to premiere the Cornellana-Salas section as soon as possible.”
In addition, the expansion works on the Ribadesella bridge, with a budget of 6.5 million euros, is imminent, and there is a “constant drip” of actions for the maintenance of state roads. For example, a few days ago it was approved to allocate 20 million euros to the maintenance of several roads in the east of Asturias.
Industry
In 2022, the industry “received more aid than ever,” said the government delegate. Nationwide, 668 million euros were allocated to this sector. 244 million euros for compensation for costs of CO2 emissions, raising the amount to the maximum allowed by the European Commission, and of which Asturias received 39 million euros. The EDCs and EDCs received €225 million and €125 million, respectively, nationwide. And in addition, the industry benefited from the compensation of the charges of the electric bill, estimated at almost 74 million euros, of which 13 Asturian companies received 3.2 million euros.
Delia Losa has stressed the “undeniable” commitment of the Government of Spain to the Asturian industry that “is strengthened” with the appointment of two Asturians, Francisco Blanco as Secretary General of Industry, and Luis Ángel Colunga as Commissioner of the PERTE of Decarbonization. PERTE of decarbonization approved in the last days of the year 2022 and that “is vital” so that Arcelor can receive the 450 million euros that it needs to renew its facilities in Spain.
In 2022 the green light was also given to the PERTE of the naval sector that will be a “fundamental support for the development of this booming and leading sector in Asturias” that has in Gondán and Armón its maximum exponents.
Ecological transition
“There is no doubt that the fight against climate change and the essential energy transition are a challenge for Spain in general and for Asturias in particular,” said the delegate of the Government, who considers that “the transition to the decarbonization of the economy must be fair, creating economic activity and generating wealth in the mining regions.”
In this sense, the restorations of the mines of Tormaleo, in Ibias, and Cerredo, in Degaña, are already under way, which add up to 75 million euros of investment.
Losa recalled that thanks to the Government chaired by Pedro Sánchez, 59 projects have already been unblocked, approved and signed in Asturias from the 2013-2018 mining funds that “the former PP Government remained paralysed” and that have mobilized a total of 92.8 million euros, 75% contributed by the Government through the Institute for the Just Transition.
Other sectors
In 2022 the Government of Spain managed to renew the Common Agricultural Policy that from this year will allow Spain to have 800 million euros more per year until reaching 4,800. “It is important,” said Losa, “because in 2022, for example, the Asturias agri-livestock sector, 9,454 people, received 78 million euros from the CAP.”
The government delegate has reviewed other investments, such as those destined for trade, with more than one million euros for digitalization and modernization or 4.5 million euros for projects in Oviedo, Avilés and Villaviciosa to support the sector. On the Digital Kit, in 2022 it has already reached 1,595 self-employed and SMEs with up to 50 employees and there are already more than 3,000 who have benefited from this measure for a total of 18 million euros.
“One of the sectors that is booming and that contributes wealth and employment is the tourism sector,” said Losa before recalling that in 2022 26.6 million euros were allocated to various tourism sustainability plans in destination, in addition to the three million euros allocated to the tourism sustainability plans of Tineo and Cangas de Onís.
In terms of health and education, Delia Losa considers that “the Government of Spain shows that it is committed to equality and equity”. In that sense, last year the money destined for scholarships grew by 18%, a percentage that rises to 62 points compared to the beginning of the legislature. To boost VET, Asturias received four million euros in 2022.