“We must evaluate the fight, and we are here to assess and take responsibility, but prevention must also be evaluated, what was done, what was not done, how it could be done differently,” said Rui Rocha during an interview.
The official highlighted the work done following the 2017 fires and the establishment of an independent technical committee, which provided a valuable moment for reflection, assistance, and contribution.
“What is important afterwards is to put things into practice. And what I ask today is, among the initiatives, the entities that were created, the action plans that were devised, did they achieve the objectives they set eight years ago,” he questioned.
Rui Rocha advocated for an evaluation of the performance of the Agency for the Integrated Management of Rural Fires (AGIF), created in 2018 to coordinate, plan, and evaluate the Integrated Fire Management System (SGIFR).
“I invite everyone to understand what the objective was for the creation of AGIF in 2018. By 2025, what role has AGIF played across this sector, regarding its objectives, its action plan, the conditions it had, and if it could have done better,” he stated.
When asked whether AGIF should be disbanded, he replied, “It exists, it has its purpose. We need to understand how it has fulfilled it and if it can also fulfill it better. Therefore, that is the evaluation we need to conduct at the right time.”
The Secretary of State further remarked that there should be a reflection on how “greater cooperation and collaboration” can be achieved among various entities, including the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests (ICNF), Civil Protection, Armed Forces, and GNR.
“We must be willing to make this reflection and understand, on one hand, in the moment of combat, how all these entities can improve their cooperation,” he said.
