The government delegate in Galicia, José Miñones, claimed this morning in Vilalba the commitment of the Government of Pedro Sánchez with the municipalities of Galicia that are immersed in the fair transition process and stressed that the state investments currently reach about seven million euros in this municipality of Lugo. The delegate congratulated the mayor, Elba Veleiro, for obtaining an aid of almost half a million euros (499,605.93 €) to finance environmental, social and digital infrastructures, which includes urban trees, in the last call resolved by the Institute for the Fair Transition, dependent on the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge. José Miñones also conveyed to the councilor the opportunity of the next call for 40 million euros that the Government will open for business projects focused on generating green and quality employment in areas affected by the closure of thermal power plants.
During his visit, José Miñones supervised in Vilalba the impact of the aid of the Recovery Plan, accompanied by the subdelegate in Lugo, Isabel Rodríguez. The delegate reaffirmed the Government’s municipalist commitment and its action to meet the demographic challenge.
Vilalba is one of the 19 Galician municipalities included in the fair transition protocols, because they are affected by the processes of closure of thermal power plants (As Pontes and Meirama). The Institute for the Just Transition granted 12.4 million euros to promote 17 projects in these municipalities. José Miñones highlighted this action in the improvement of environmental, social and digital infrastructures, within the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.
The delegate also focused on the 111 million euros that the Government transfers to the Xunta de Galicia to finance large business projects, equally focused on the fair transition process.
Seven million euros of government investments in Vilalba
Regarding the investments in the City of Vilalba, in addition to the approximately 500,000 euros of the Institute for the Just Transition, José Miñones highlighted the importance for the neighborhood of improving connectivity, with the contribution of fiber optics to 4,200 homes and housing companies and homes in the municipality thanks to the UN-Broadband Plan, valued at 1.1 million euros. Also, the savings that will mean for the Consistory the improvement of the efficiency of public lighting, with three grants of more than 400,000 euros from the Institute for Diversification and Energy Saving (IDAE), of the Ministry for Ecological Transition.
To these investments are added the 900,000 euros of the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda that allow the rehabilitation of the Consistorial House of Vilalba in a sustainable way, reducing energy consumption by 80%, within the framework of the Program to Promote the Rehabilitation of Public Buildings (PIREP).
Within the commitment to sustainability, in this case in the tourist field, the investment of 1.1 million euros for the reform of the Parador de Vilalba stood out. The State also contributes 2.8 million euros within the agreement with the Mi｟｠ -Sil Confederation to improve sanitation and the WWTP of Vilalba. “The Government is the administration that is investing the most in the concellos of Galicia,” said the delegate.
José Miñones claimed the transition as a necessary paradigm shift to boost green and quality employment. “We promote projects that will improve the quality of life of the citizens of these municipalities, improving social, cultural and entrepreneurial services, and contributing to the environmental improvement of green and urban areas in different localities,” said the delegate.
“We are supporting the green revolution in Galicia and giving real opportunities for development and employment to the municipalities that face the cessation of activity of thermal power plants,” said the delegate.
The delegate recalled that the Government launched last summer a Fair Transition Office in the Seara business center, in As Pontes, and that it is managed by technicians of the public company Tragsa. This office is at the disposal of the 19 municipalities with transition agreements to outline their candidacies and attract the maximum possible funds from the different lines of aid and support for productive investment in these territories.