The government delegate in Galicia, José Miñones, held this morning the first press conference of the year together with the president of the Galician Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEGAMP), Alberto Varela, as a sign of the “commitment to municipalism” of the Government of Pedro Sánchez in a key year for the transformation of municipalities. José Miñones highlighted the milestone that, for the first time, the 313 municipalities of Galicia have some help line from the Government. “The Recovery Plan is present in every action of our daily lives,” he said.
In this way, the delegate reported that Galician local entities were beneficiaries so far of 920 of the 2,900 resolutions of funds of the Recovery Plan, which already leaves more than 2 billion euros in Galicia, which means an average of three grants granted by city council. José Miñones stressed that the Government’s objective is “to protect the Galician municipalities and move towards their modernization” through two commitments, “planning and financing”. José Miñones also recalled that the General Budgets that have just entered into force will leave investments in Galicia worth about 1.2 billion euros more, which means 400 euros for each Galician and Galician, well above the average investment of 284 euros per inhabitant in Spain.
The delegate stressed that with the current Government of Pedro Sánchez, Galicia received 32% more resources than in the last five years of the previous Government and was “very optimistic” about the new opportunities that open up for the community and for municipalities in this 2023, which he informed the president of the FEGAMP. Among the figures of the impact of the Recovery Plan in the municipalities, the Single Plan - Broadband Broadband, which is bringing the high-speed connection to 197,000 homes and companies in Galicia with an investment of 82 million euros and which will reach 100% of the rural in 2025, stood out.
It also deepened the aid focused on the demographic challenge, which in Galicia benefits 252 of the 313 municipalities, 80% of the Galician municipalities. Among them the DUS-5000, a program of the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, which injects 21 million euros in Galicia and from which 27 municipalities and a deputation benefit, to bet on the energy transition and sustainable mobility of small municipalities.
In medium-sized municipalities, between 20,000 and 50,000 inhabitants, the Government is promoting modernization through lines such as the Digitization Plan, with 15 municipalities and the 4 beneficiary councils with a direct investment of 100% and about 17 million.
In the case of large cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants, the Government of Spain continues to finance the transformation of these cities with funds for low-emission areas, for transport, to save on the urban and metropolitan bus, for humanizations, for digitalization, or in the improvement of infrastructures. Only the program of low emission zones left in Galicia 37 million euros, and a second call is already open.
Another of the main lines of action that he highlighted is the Program to Promote the Rehabilitation of Public Buildings, the PIREP. The call for the Xunta financed the rehabilitation of 21 schools and institutes in Galicia thanks to the 27 million euros that the Government transferred to it.
And in the case of the local PIREP, the Government is injecting 27.3 million euros into 34 Galician local entities to rehabilitate town halls, sports centers, swimming pools or libraries, with the second funding line still to be resolved.
The delegate also referred to the aid to the commercial sector in Galicia with 7.67 million euros, the Tourist Sustainability Plans in Destination with 86 million euros or the State Plan for Access to Housing, which is allowing the energetic rehabilitation of housing, as well as that young people can buy a home with an aid of 10,800 euros or save 60% of the rent they decide to live in a place with less than 10,000 inhabitants.
José Miñones also highlighted the importance of plans to bring services closer together, such as the program of posters in rural areas, which allows the payment of receipts directly to the postman, without having to travel, or the recent plan of the Administration Cerca de ti, with which the Government is bringing tools of digital administration to 240 municipalities in Galicia. He also announced that in 2023 the creation of the municipal justice offices will begin, a plan that he informed the president of the FEGAMP.
Unconditional funds and home help service
For his part, Alberto Varela highlighted the commitment of the Government with the municipalities, with an increase of 15% of the unconditional funds of the Government for the municipalities in the last two years, compared to the frozen resources of the Xunta for 13 years.
He also conveyed the special concern of the FEGAMP for the contribution of the Xunta de Galicia in the home help service of the municipalities since, while the Government increased its contribution to this service from 51 to 65 million euros in two years, the Xunta lowered it from 50 to 47 million, so both demanded greater involvement of all administrations in the services provided by local entities, which in many cases are also assuming improper competences.