The National Association of Portuguese Municipalities (ANMP) demanded on Tuesday that the government submit a calendar of investments to be made in the schools handed over to the municipalities, subject to an agreement signed last July.
In its statement, the ANMP recalls that an agreement was signed between the association and the government in July 2022, in which the executive branch, led by António Costa, “undertook to invest in the construction and re-qualification of school buildings” through various funding sources. , namely the European Funds Program Portugal 2030, the Recovery and Resilience Plan and the European Investment Bank.
In the same note, the ANMP, meeting on Tuesday in its governing board, announces that “it has decided to require the government to submit a calendar of investments to be made in the schools handed over to the municipalities and related funding sources that will ensure the construction and retraining of the 451 schools included to this agreement.
The agreement, signed on July 22 last year between the association and the government, includes a map of priority schools to be rehabilitated “that may still be subject to corrections”, which, according to the president of the ANMP at the time. , Luisa Salgueiro (PS), who also heads the Chamber of Matosinhos in the Porto region.
On November 15 last year, the Ministry of Territorial Unity announced that “using the extraordinary waiting mechanism PT2030” notifications for funding activities in schools will be open by the end of 2022.
On January 16 of this year, the PSD applied to the Ministry of Territorial Unity through the Assembly of the Republic asking when the government will publish the intervention program for 451 schools, if there is already a schedule indicating the timing and costs for opening tenders for their restoration and how many of the 451 schools specified in the agreement, contracts were opened.
“Six months after the signing of the commitment agreement, the government has not yet moved forward with investments and has not ensured that the municipalities can do this when re-qualifying the school park,” accused Social Democrat MP Firmino Pereira in a question addressed to Territorial Unity Minister Ana Abruñosa.
The ANMP meeting was hosted by the Mayor of São João da Pesqueira (Viseu district), Manuel Cordeiro, current member of this body of the association, representing the Independent Municipal Movements.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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