Manuel Castro Almeida addressed the Assembly of the Republic during a plenary debate on support measures following the August wildfires on the mainland.
The Government, as the minister recalled, had already implemented measures to support affected individuals, according to Decree-Law 98-A of August 24. Today, a proposed law was presented to amend this decree-law, adding three measures that require parliamentary approval.
The Government proposes waiving authorization for the provision of support and contract execution between local authorities and the Commissions for Coordination and Regional Development (CCDR) in specific cases mentioned in the decree. It also seeks VAT exemption for feed donations and classifies certain acts and contracts as urgent, exempting them from prior review by the Court of Auditors.
The PCP presented a bill to strengthen urgent support measures for wildfire victims, amending the same decree-law of August 24.
It includes support for loss of income and other social support, temporary housing or reconstruction of second homes, and support for businesses and post-fire measures.
Similarly, Livre presented a bill to amend a decree-law (82/2021) that revises the methodology for emergency stabilization actions post-fire.
The document stipulates that the evaluation of necessary actions be completed within 15 days after the fire. Livre declares priority zones for emergency stabilization and states that once the areas requiring stabilization are identified, they should be completed within 30 days.
Although during the debate parties generally accused the Government of delays in providing support, the minister denied this, stating that the Ministry of Finance quickly transferred the support to the CCDR, with payments beginning on September 1 and continuing.
He noted that last year, 5,075 farmers were supported, covering 99.4% of eligible support requests, with 30 farmers yet to be paid among those supported. Applications for housing and company support were nearly entirely considered, according to the minister’s figures.
The PCP also submitted a resolution recommending that the Government take measures to support those affected by the fires and settle outstanding invoice payments.
In another resolution, Livre recommends that the Government take action regarding burned areas, particularly in stabilization efforts.
