“Lighter procedure thanks to the Genova model”
SASSARI. South and territorial. Its mission is already contained in the name of the ministry: to recover the gap between north and south and to remedy the disparities that can create
SASSARI. South and territorial. Its mission is already contained in the name of the ministry: to recover the gap between north and south and to remedy the inequalities that can create social tensions. Sardinia, like much of the south, experiences this gap on the side of the poorest, but the European revitalization policies can be an important opportunity. The Minister of the South, Mara Carfagna, in this interview talks about the planned measures and how the island and the South of Italy should grow for the opportunity.
Could Minister Carfagna, P and the complementary plan contribute to bridging or reducing the gap between Sardinia and other areas of the country?
«The measures have been studied exactly in this direction. And if a share of funds has been assigned to the South, 40 per cent, higher than its population and its GDP, it is precisely to attack with energy what I call the “citizenship gap”: the now intolerable difference in height between Italians in the North. and of the South in access to constitutional rights “.
The Ministry of Infrastructure has specified to the Nuova the details of all the interventions on the island. But there are those who believe that the percentage of resources is still insufficient.
“We must never forget that European regulations oblige to finance with the Recovery Plans only the interventions that can be carried out in 5 years: this represented an objective limitation for interventions in areas such as Sardinia where infrastructural delays are enormous and certainly cannot be addressed. within such short deadlines. However, between Pnrr resources and the complementary fund, the island will benefit from approximately 1.3 billion euros of investments in the railway network, ports, rear-port areas, urban regeneration and cycle paths. The real problem now is to spend them well and on schedule, otherwise they will be lost ».
Sardinia has a historical delay in terms of infrastructures, but it does not seem that, at least with funds from the NRP, the situation will change.
«The bet we have made as a government is to build in the South and in the Islands, over the next five years, a more favorable environment for business and investments to attract capital, new economic activities and stop the flight of young people with more qualifications. In short, a virtuous path of development has begun. To the work on the infrastructures must be added the other interventions of a 40% quota. A rough estimate based on the resident population tells us 140 million for new kindergartens and nursery schools in Sardinia; 130 million for home care and telemedicine; 180 million for water networks. These are just examples of the great economic and social driving force represented by the NRP, to which the resources of the 2021-2027 cycle of European funds for cohesion will be added “.
Respect of deadlines: will the bureaucratic machine, even at the peripheral level, live up to the required commitment?
“It was our great concern right from the start. The South competition, with its 2800 places on call, was launched even before the Pnrr resources were deposited: all the technical resources and experts in the administrations of the territory, to which 400 insured by the public service will be added. We listened to the mayors, and presented other support measures. There are 161 million to grant metropolitan cities and municipalities under 30,000 inhabitants to have a project park. There is the option of hiring external professionals with costs borne by the projects, or to enter into agreements with in-house service companies. There is the possibility for the Regions to reschedule the complementary operations in order to provide financing plans for technical assistance. And if more is needed, we will put it on the field. My offices are working these days to find resources to increase the number of “reinforcements” to be included in local administrations ».
Could the streamlining of procedures bring with it the risk of irregularities?
«We have an important model to replicate, the Genova Model. It has shown us that, often, it is the “complicated” procedures that produce irregularities and rightly corruption, while the clearer the rules, the more streamlined the passages, the fewer gray areas there are: and it is in the gray areas that they nestle the problems of legality “.
What is the level of dialogue with the Sardinia Region?
«Otti, there is not only listening but also discussion on criticisms and search for solutions. The Southern Regions are essential interlocutors for the success of my work as a minister, and I have taken this into account from the very beginning. My first initiative after taking office, in the drafting phase of the NRP, was the two-day “South, projects to restart”, opened by Prime Minister Mario Draghi with speeches by all the presidents of the Region. It was very useful and also for this reason I organized in recent days “Let’s unite Italy”. It is necessary to decide on the new programming cycle of the Development Funds and cohesive, the voice of the territories is essential to make fair, effective and pragmatic decisions ».