The delegate of the Government in Asturias, Adriana Lastra, considers that the data of the report ‘Complying’ corresponding to the first half of this year confirm that “Asturias is in progress thanks to the decisive push of the Government of Spain and the necessary coordination and collaboration with the Government of the Principality”.
The accountability document that can be consulted in this link and that it is an exercise of transparency of the action of the Central Executive, demonstrates, according to Lastra, that “this progressive government is good for Asturias”, and highlights that it has managed to “strengthen the welfare state, not leave anyone behind, while managing to consolidate a robust economy, in constant growth”.
European Funds Next Generation
The ‘Complying’ report updates the figures of the Next Generation Funds that have been allocated to Asturias until June 30. €1,401.1 million which is divided as follows: EUR 639.6 million corresponding to the deployment of investments of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan in the areas of competence of the Government of the Principality; EUR 566 million directly resolved by the General Administration of the State; and EUR 195.5 million allocated through the OBJECTIVE-EU funds.
In total, 14,254 companies, institutions and citizens have benefited from these European funds. “We are taking advantage of this opportunity offered by the European Union to strengthen the Spain and Asturias that we want for future generations,” said the government delegate.
Complete socioeconomic modernization in green and digital key
The document details the effects of labour reform in Asturias. June ended with 272,600 indefinite contracts, according to the Labor Force Survey, which represents an 8.7 percent increase in indefinite hiring compared to the quarter before the entry into force of the labor reform agreed with social agents. Since then, in Asturias there are 17,000 more contributors to Social Security and 14,000 fewer unemployed.
Under the heading dedicated to socio-economic modernization, the EUR 2.8 billion included in the Atlantic Corridor master plan for Asturias up to 2023, the EUR 57.3 million allocated to active employment policies and the EUR 45.8 million received by farmers and ranchers from EAGF funds stand out.
Strengthen the welfare state
The minimum vital income, approved by the government presided over by Pedro Sánchez, reaches 36,313 people in Asturias, of whom 12,248 were minors. Other measures that have an impact on disadvantaged people are the 43,045 people who receive an electric social voucher and the 2.7 million euros earmarked for projects under the programme “Protection of the family and care for child poverty”.
In the first half of the year, progress has been made on a pioneering project: the first center in Europe for the care of ALS patients that will be located in Oviedo and that has a funding of 3.8 million euros.
In addition, pensioners have seen their pensions revalued under the CPI. Steps are also being taken to consolidate the System for Autonomy and Care of Dependency, with 25.4 million received by Asturias this year, and care policy projects worth 25.8 million euros have been funded.
Improve access to housing
As the President of the Government said this week, the next three years of the legislature will be focused on turning access to housing into the fifth pillar of the welfare state. At the moment, within the State Housing Plan for the period 2022-2025, the Government has allocated 12.1 million euros for rental aid for vulnerable groups, increase the public housing stock and promote rehabilitation.
The Government has signed agreements with the Government of the Principality and thirteen municipalities to build 595 homes for social rent worth 23 million euros.
Drive a Fair Ecological Transition
As part of the decarbonization process, the Institute for the Just Transition has allocated 80 million euros in aid so far this year for 74 business projects in Asturias that will create 164 jobs. And 25.4 million euros have been invested for the recovery of areas affected by mining, under the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.
In addition, 10.1 million euros are being implemented in projects to adapt to the risk of flooding and digitization of the water cycle and another four million euros to boost the circular economy in the company.
Consolidate Spain as a reference in equality between women and men
Under this heading, the ‘Complying’ report highlights that this year Asturias has received 4.1 million euros from the Joint Responsibility Plan, four million euros from the State Pact against Gender Violence and 0.7 million euros for different programmes and regional plans aimed at victims of gender violence and sexual violence.
Strengthen territorial cohesion and meet the demographic challenge
With regard to railway infrastructures, this semester has been the take-off of the Pajares variant after its entry into service in November 2023. The Proximity Plan in Asturias continues to be implemented and by June 68 percent of the more than 1,060 million euros budgeted had already been mobilized. In addition, the solution of the intermodal station of Gijón and the integration project presented by Adif have been approved.
On roads, 4.1 million euros have been invested in eight road safety improvement actions at intersections of the A-66, N-630, N-625 and N-634 and almost 34 million euros have been allocated for the modernization works of seven tunnels on the A-8 and A-64. The anti-noise actions on the A-66 also advance as it passes through Mieres with 10.9 million euros of budget.