The subdelegate of the Government in Ourense, Eladio Santos, celebrated "the unprecedented investment" that entailed the execution of the Recovery Plan for the transformation of the province. This was said at the press conference held on Tuesday, on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of the approval, in the Council of Ministers, of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan. "We celebrate four years of a determined commitment to emerge from the crisis caused by the pandemic with a social shield and being stronger," he said.
The infrastructure and agriculture, explained Eladio Santos, are the chapters in which the Government made a greater investment effort to bet on the province and its modernization. "Communications in Ourense left much to be desired a few years ago, but right now Ourense is a reference for mobility throughout Galicia, because thanks to the AVE we are closer than ever to the rest of Spain," he said.
But not only the high speed reflects the Government’s commitment to facilitate the lives of Ourensanos and Ourensanas, since thanks to the Transformation Plan more than 450 million euros were invested in infrastructure and mobility. Specifically, 335 million euros were allocated for the Ourense–Monforte–Lugo railway connection and 108 million for the urban integration of the Ourense railway network, as well as 9 million euros for sustainable and digital mobility.
The subdelegate placed agriculture as "an absolute priority" for the Government of Spain. An example of this is the allocation of EUR 28 million for improving the irrigation use of the 42 catchments of A Limia groundwater, which benefits 1,822 farmers who grow 2,576 hectares in the municipalities of Xinzo de Limia, Sarreaus and Porqueira. Not that it has to do with water, we must add the more than 6 million for the modernization of the Forest Reinforcement Brigades (BRIF) and the Aquaourense O-Intelligent project, with 7.7 million.
Other projects representative of this plan for the companies of the province are the prototype of mobile production unit of the company Cedan Jobs of Allariz, which received 1.5 million euros from the Circular Economy Pass. Exalbesa reached more than 3 million of the Decarbonization Pearl. In addition, the Northwest Cogeneration company received 3.4 million from Perte Erha for its plant in San Cibrao das Viñas.
Territorial cohesion and connectivity
Santos described as "essential" the UNICO programs of broadband, active networks and 5G in rural areas, since "they are bringing the best connectivity to the whole province of Ourense". The Secretary of State for Telecommunications contributed more than 50 million euros to implement these plans in the province, "which reaffirms the commitment of the Government in the real fight against rural depopulation."
"Although sometimes it is not what we give more importance to, I take care that in an aging province, ours deserves special mention the investment effort in the PERTE of Social Economy," said the subdelegate, who recalled that it was more than 124 million euros that this program left in Galicia for different lines, such as public equipment for long-term care, home equipment that favors personal autonomy, accessibility programs and the plan to modernize social services.
In this regard, he wanted to mention the Co-responsible Plan launched by the Ministry of Equality to favor the reconciliation of families and which transferred more than 18.6 million euros to Galicia in 2023 and 2024 and will continue this year. From these funds, sports federations and town halls in the province benefited.
Tourism
The subdelegate of the Government praised "the great impulse to tourism" that meant the Plan of Transformation, "essential for a province full of history, festivals of great interest, with unique gastronomic products and reference of thermalism". It stands out in this field in the amount of 2.6 million euros for the artistic historical complex of Pazos de Arenteiro in Boborás. It was also "a real success," he said, the development of the Destination Tourism Sustainability Plans, with five in the province of Ourense. "These are initiatives that make it possible to finance significant actions for the improvement of historical and natural heritage," he said.
In this line, he wanted to remember that the Government transferred to the Xunta more than 130 million euros of the Transformation Plan to boost tourism in the community, but regretted "the lack of execution in Ourense". He gave as an example a line of aid of enogastronomical tourism for accommodation and restoration. "Of 145 aid granted, only 4% were given in the province of Ourense," said Santos, who asked the Galician Government "to execute the funds distributed by the Government and do not forget the province of Ourense, because Ourense is tourism and also deserves promotion."
Social Shield
Eladio Santos stressed that the exit from the pandemic was a social shield for all citizens. In Ourense, the Minimum Vital Income reaches 11,455 beneficiaries in the province, as of March of this year. In addition, the total number of recipients from June 2020 to March 2025 was 16,040. In addition, the Social Security membership is 106,749 employed, 5,070 more than in March 2018.
It also deserves special mention, considered the subdelegate, "the professional stability achieved historically by this Government", with 20,778 indefinite contracts in the province, 160% more than in 2019. Meanwhile, the electric social bond counted with 14,821 beneficiaries.
In short, Santos maintained that "the Government of Spain complies with the Ourensanos and Ourensanas". "Hopefully all administrations will comply with the province as the government does and execute 100% of what is transferred to them, because some are not doing it," he said.