Pedro Blanco: “Galicia is experiencing the greatest transformation in its history with almost 4,000 million euros from the Government for a fair, safe and sustainable future”

The Government delegate in Galicia, Pedro Blanco, stressed today that “Galicia is experiencing the greatest transformation in its history with almost 4,000 million euros from the Government for a fair, safe and sustainable future”, and that this transformation is possible thanks to the Recovery Plan promoted by the Government and which became “the great engine of the modernization of Galicia”.

Pedro Blanco presented today the biannual balance of accountability “Complying”, which the Government recovers in this legislature, reflecting the commitment to transparency in public management and information to citizens.

The delegate detailed that, until last July, Galicia received 3,391 million euros from the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan. Of this amount, 1,846 million euros were executed directly by the Government and 1,545.2 million euros were allocated to Galicia to implement policies within the framework of its competences: housing, sustainable mobility, promotion of renewables, restoration of ecosystems, education and professional training, inclusion and social services, among others. The two amounts are added to the 440.9 million euros allocated to Galicia through the OBJECTIVE-EU Funds.

Pedro Blanco transferred to the Xunta the responsibility to execute “up to the last euro” of these funds and also to render an account of their execution, “because cogovernance is that, to be responsible and transparent, to shoulder the shoulder, to continue advancing and protecting the Galicians and Galicians”. And he recalled that at this moment the equator of the Recovery Plan was reached: “a moment to give impetus to its implementation, with the collaboration of all administrations, so that Galicia takes advantage of all opportunities”.

So far, the calls and programs financed by the Recovery Plan benefited in Galicia 36,876 companies, institutions, and citizens located in all municipalities. Of this total, Pedro Blanco highlighted that eight out of ten beneficiaries of the calls are companies and self-employed in Galicia, which certifies that the Government “is the best ally of the Galician business fabric”.

Challenges for the next semester

Regarding the forecasts for the next semester, the delegate reiterated that the Government will continue to work on policies for people, taking advantage of the good economic data reached: “It’s time to make policies useful to people, which are enabling us to get more work, more rights and opportunities, and more equality.”

Within these policies, Pedro Blanco highlighted the initiatives to facilitate access to housing, both owned and rented. Respect for rent, it valued the 58.5 million euros committed to build more than 1,200 homes for social rent in Galicia. “Solving this problem is a priority and we will make every effort to guarantee the right to decent housing,” he insisted.

The delegate pointed out that these initiatives continue the strategy set by the Government during the pandemic, based on “leaving no one behind”, which means responding to the needs of the people. “We are doing so by increasing pensions, consolidating the Minimum Vital Income, increasing the Minimum Wage, or increasing the aid to study,” he said.

Commitments fulfilled

The Balance “Complying” reviews the milestones achieved by the Government in Galicia in different epigraphs. To the Recovery Plan, the measures related to socioeconomic modernization are added in a green and digital key, highlighting the 111.7 million euros for the digitalization of 27,282 small and autonomous companies in Galicia with the Digital Kit Program or the data achieved in employment and affiliation to Social Security.

Not respecting the strengthening of the Welfare State, the balance highlights the 76,459 people who receive the Minimum Vital Income, the creation of more than 5,600 Vocational Training places or the 49.7 million transferred to improve the care of dependent people.

Next to the heading of Housing, the “Complying” includes the milestones achieved to promote a fair ecological transition, in which it reviews the programs to promote the circular economy and improve the energy efficiency of companies as well as the incentives to self-consumption programs. Not respecting the promotion of equality between men and women, the balance sheet includes, among other commitments fulfilled, the 12 million euros destined to Galicia for actions against gender violence and the 9 million euros to execute the Co-responsible Plan.

The “Complying” Balance ends with the review of the actions to strengthen territorial cohesion and face the demographic challenge, among which the UNICO-Broadband program stands out, with 19.4 million executed this year to extend broadband to the whole of Galicia and 53.2 million euros to provide 5G connectivity to rural areas. The infrastructures are part of this section, and in them the expansion of the budget for the variant of the Pobra de San Xiao stands out, as part of the global investment of 650 million euros of the new line of High Speed Ourense - Monforte - Lugo. Also, during this first semester, the Government put into service the new Orbital link of Santiago and awarded the works of expansion of the intermodal station of Ourense for an amount of 111.7 million euros.