The president of the Junta de Andalucía, Juanma Moreno, has presented the plan ‘Andalucía Actúa’, with which the Andalusian Government will mobilize more than 1,780 million euros of own resources to face the recovery after the damages caused by the recent storms in the community. The objective is to reactivate economic activity and repair basic infrastructures damaged by the storm.
Moreno explained that the plan arises from a reprogramming of the autonomous budget and that it is a first package of measures open to extensions as damage assessments progress. “The damage has been extensive and very diverse… we want those affected to rebuild their lives as soon as possible”, said the Andalusian president during the presentation of the program at the San Telmo Palace in Seville.
An important part of the resources will be allocated to the productive sector, especially to the countryside. Specifically, the plan includes 700 million euros for farmers and agricultural holdings, 31 million for the fishing sector and 35 million in aid for self-employed and SMEs. In the case of self-employed workers, aid may reach up to 2,000 euros per self-employed person, with payments of 200 euros per month between February and November, while SMEs may receive up to 3,500 euros per worker (350 euros monthly for ten months).
The program also includes actions to repair public infrastructure damaged by floods and rains. Among them stand out more than 535 million for roads and rural paths, with interventions planned in around 1,000 kilometers of roads and 594 serious incidents detected in the autonomous road network. Likewise, more than 60 million euros will be allocated for schools and high schools, 13 million for health centers and 49 million for livestock trails and environmental facilities affected by the storm.
The Andalusian president stressed that the plan aims to accelerate the return to normality in the affected areas and asked for the collaboration of other administrations. In this regard, he urged the central Government and the European Union to activate extraordinary financing mechanisms, such as the state contingency fund, the EU Solidarity Fund or the CAP crisis fund, to complement the economic effort made by the Junta.
Moreno concluded by highlighting the work of the emergency services and the professionals who have participated in the management of the storm and in the recovery efforts, while defending that the plan seeks to accelerate reconstruction and reactivate the Andalusian productive fabric as soon as possible.
