Ourense, April 1, 2023.- The subdelegate of the Government in Ourense, Emilio González, has today valued the 1.4 billion euros invested by the Government in Ourense in recent years, a figure that represents a historical record and that aims to guarantee an economic, social and fair recovery. The subdelegate highlighted the 340 million euros of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, and the more than 500 million registered in the General State Budgets and which represent a firm commitment of the Government to the province guaranteeing historical progress. To that data must be added the more than 565 million in transfers to local administrations
“The Government, with the push of these funds, promotes economic and social recovery while working to build a more modern, green, digital, inclusive, socially and territorially cohesive Galicia,” said the deputy delegate. These advances materialize in actions such as the 5.8 million destined for the rehabilitation of public buildings and homes; the more than 20.75 million of the UNICO-Broadband Program, which will connect more than 55,000 homes in Ourense; the 6 million of the Digital Kit, which promotes the digitization of more than 1,300 companies and self-employed.
Emilio González also highlights the Government’s commitment to the province’s thermalism with 3.1 million euros for the Ourense Termal tourism sustainability plan, enhancing the natural resources of our territory and strengthening tourism as a fundamental axis with an investment of 2.4 million euros in different projects of tourist markets of the regions of Trives, Ourense and Valdeorras.
Infrastructure
In terms of infrastructure, Emilio González celebrated the Government’s drive with historic projects of great relevance to Ourense, especially in railway matters such as the historic milestone of the arrival of the High Speed to Galicia with the inauguration of the Porta de Galicia - A Gudiña station, the renovation of the railway infrastructure, with about 100 million euros to complete the new access to the city of Ourense with the start of the works of the northern variant, the start of the project of advice of the intermodal station with 145 million euros; 550 million to update and electrify the Ourense - Monforte-Lugo route. In addition to highlighting the 20.7 million euros for the construction of the variant of the Barco de Valdeorras.
In this regard, Emilio González highlighted very positively the announcement made yesterday by Mitma with the approval of the project of tracing the Ourense - Cambeo section of the A-56 motorway with 130 million euros.
“The Recovery Plan and the investments of the Government of Pedro Sánchez are giving an important boost to the infrastructures, retaking and turning into reality projects abandoned by other governments and administrations and reaching each of the regions of the territory of Ourense”, said González Afonso, who gave as an example the 2.3 million euros for the humanization of the crossing of Xinzo de Limia; the 1.2 million euros that arrive to Ribeira Sacra for the modernization of the Parador de Santo Estevo or the 14 million euros for the recovery and tourist value of Monterrei.
Social spending
González Afonso focused on the Government’s social spending and its involvement with each neighbour, which already represents one in every six euros of the budget. With this money, the government seeks a fair recovery for the most vulnerable groups, such as pensioners, young people and the working middle class. “These are budgets designed so that no one is left behind.”
Thus, the Deputy Delegate stressed that thanks to these measures, more than 12,000 Ourensans are beneficiaries of the Electricity Social Bonus and more than 9,000 of the Minimum Vital Income.
Regarding pensions, the deputy delegate stressed that 106,694 people in the province benefit from the revaluation of the Government of more than 8.5% to reach an average pension of 880.91 euros, some 74 euros more per month than last year. The subdelegation assures that in the province of Ourense as a whole, this increase represents a "total annual disbursement of 94 million euros".
Regarding young people, the Government’s deputy delegate highlighted the increase in scholarships, from which 3,183 scholarship recipients benefited last year, with a total investment of 6.4 million euros in Ourense. In addition, he announced that a new call is already underway, with a global budget of 2,520 million euros. Other measures aimed at this group are the Youth Rent voucher, managed by the Xunta de Galicia, or the Cultural Voucher, which was enjoyed last year by 1,164 young people from Ourense who turned 18 in 2022 and for which the Government has already launched a new call.
Emilio González also highlighted the Government’s commitment to ecology and green energy, reaching all municipalities of the demographic challenge with 5.8 million euros of the DUS5000 program for unique clean energy projects or the 4.75 million euros granted to the low emissions area of the City of Ourense .
Government Exceptional Measures
Within the social umbrella, the subdelegate also mentioned the measures taken to deal with the impact on the economy of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Thus, he recalled the reduction of 20 cents in fuel, the gratuitousness of rail transport subscriptions and the 50% discount on AVANT services, which today benefits more than 65,000 Galicians, the 68 million euros in direct aid to the fishing sector or the 362 for farmers and ranchers, among others.
Alongside these, there are others of a fiscal nature such as the reduction of the VAT on certain food products, the reduction of the electricity bill (reduction of VAT to 10%, suspension of the tax on electricity generation and reduction of up to 0.5% of the Special Electricity Tax), the so-called 'Iberian Solution' to limit the price of natural gas, which has been extended by Brussels until the end of the year, or the limitation to 2% in the updates of income of housing lease contracts . To these must be added all the actions aimed at guaranteeing the employment and maintenance of the business fabric, such as the temporary employment regulation files (ERTE), which had already proven their effectiveness during the pandemic, as well as a line of guarantees from the Official Credit Institute (ICO) for 10 billion euros aimed at guaranteeing the liquidity of companies and self-employed workers.
“There are many challenges and also the opportunities that Galicia has ahead in the coming months. With the impetus of the Government of Pedro Sánchez, which has complied like no other with the community, we will take a turn towards a more social economy, focused on people and with the environment and sustainability as fundamental axes, and always without leaving anyone behind. ", he concluded.