The government released a €12 million Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) notice on Monday for a social equipment network in areas affected by the fires, the Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Protection said.
According to Ana Mendez Godinho, this measure is intended for areas that have been particularly affected by rural fires this year, namely the municipalities of the Serra da Estrela Natural Park (Celorico da Beira, Covilhã, Gouveia, Guarda, Manteigas and Seia) , as well as a for municipalities with an accumulated fire area in 2022 equal to or greater than 4,500 ha or 10% of its area.
Ana Méndez Godinho told Lusa that the notice is intended to respond “to the aftermath of the fires with an assessment of investment in social facilities”, which are “defining projects for job creation” in the hinterland.
“This notice covers the creation or upgrading of places in nursing homes, the creation of new places for home support, as well as day centers or activity and learning centers for people with disabilities,” the minister said.
The notice was posted on Monday and applications can be submitted from Thursday to January 19, 2023.
According to the text of the notice, the ultimate beneficiaries are private social solidarity institutions (IPSS) or equivalent, municipalities and other public organizations, as well as other non-profit private law organizations of public interest, which within their object is established by law in the social field.
The Minister appealed to all social sector actors of the municipalities covered by the PNSE and others who can use the disclosed support to “take advantage of this notification, which is a special notification specific to these municipalities only, in the amount of 12 million euros for social investment in critical response areas on the needs of the population, as well as in key areas of job creation”.
“The social sector is decisive in these municipalities. [que foram particularmente afetados pelos incêndios]🇧🇷 Therefore, I also issue an appeal to submit applications between December 15 and January 19,” said Ana Mendez Godinho.
The Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Protection believes that social institutions will apply for the aforementioned support, since the dynamism of the institutions is “well known” and the social sector has “always been at the forefront of applications”.
“At the moment, we already have 237 contracts approved for social responses, which is a total amount that already exceeds 300 million euros of investment,” he concluded.
Ana Méndez Godinho also stressed that with the notice issued this Monday, the government is fulfilling another of its commitments, “recognizing that the social sector is critical, namely in the hinterland, as in the case of Guarda County.” , which was badly damaged by wildfires last summer.
According to the document, three notices have already been opened, “with 13,617 intermediate places concluded in the first notice, 370 places have been added for the second notice, which is in the process of analyzing applications, and 5,500 people are envisaged for the third notice, who are still awaiting registration candidates.”
“This notice provides for 400. Thus, in the total number of notices, 19,887 places have already been provided, and the rest will be the subject of future notices,” the message says.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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