Financial strengthening, contributions to hiring companies, increase in resources for Municipalities, funds for the renewal of regional employee contracts and for the stabilization of historical precarious employment, investments in essential services and for fighting fires. These are some points of the regional stability bill which is worth 900 million euros (out of a total budget of 16.5 billion) and which was approved yesterday by the Schifani government and presented at a press conference at Palazzo d’Orléans by President of the Region Renato Schifani and the Councilor for Economy, Marco Falcone. A text of 40 articles has been published which also provides for the prudential provision of 900 million over the three-year period pending the implementation of the reform of the State-Region agreement on the ten-year deficit plan. The bill will now arrive at the Sicilian Regional Assembly, for examination by the merit commissions and then by the Chamber. Here is the content of the maneuver.
New agreement with the State
The new financial agreement of the Sicilian Region with the State guarantees additional resources of 350 million euros in 2024; the agreement is worth 2.2 billion euros until 2027 and 4 billion euros until 2030.
Work and employment
The Stability Law provides for contributions to companies of up to 30 thousand euros for each worker hired (10 thousand euros per year). In total, 300 million euros have been allocated for the three-year period 2024-2026. As a further incentive, to encourage the return to Sicily of citizens who work in companies based and operating exclusively abroad, an additional contribution of 15 thousand euros is expected over the three-year period (5 thousand euros per year) for each worker hired.
Forestry and fire prevention
For 2024, 197.3 million euros have been allocated to the forestry sector (198.3 for each of the years 2025 and 2026) for fire prevention and the strengthening of the air service (rental of heavy vehicles). For capital account interventions, another 74 million for 2024 and 63 million for 2025 and 2026. Municipalities, free consortia and metropolitan cities allocate 3% of the allocation to fire prevention and supervision of private individuals and public bodies for cleaning activities of the lands. The use of rural development personnel to put out fires is also envisaged in an innovative arrangement.
Car tax
Car tax (reduced by up to 20% in 2024: 10% less for owners who are up to date with payments and a further 10% reduction is foreseen for those who decide to make payments by direct debit to their current account.
School
7 million euros have been allocated for the operation of private schools in 2024 (3 more than in 2023), while for state schools the resources are increased by 5 million compared to 2023 (going from 27 to 32 million euros).
Young people and sports
They double the vouchers to bring young people closer to sport, promote social inclusion and combat inequalities. The 2.5 million euro measure (1.3 million had been allocated in 2023) is intended for boys and girls aged between 6 and 16, belonging to low-income families.
Municipalities, Free Consortia and Metropolitan Cities
The current transfers to the Municipalities for the financial years 2024, 2025 and 2026 have increased by 350 million euros for each year and 103 million for the metropolitan cities and for the free municipal consortia. The entire amount of the transfers will be paid out during the year and no longer in deferred installments. The resources for the Municipalities’ investment expenses have been redetermined at 115 million euros for each of the financial years 2024, 2025 and 2026.
Reserves are foreseen in the global fund for some specific purposes: six million euros for the costs of transporting waste from the smaller islands by sea; two million euros to the municipalities in which industrial areas fall; three million to Municipalities that have exceeded 65 percent of separate waste collection; three million euros to the Municipalities for the fight against stray dogs; one million euros to the Municipalities for the establishment of the surveillance and rescue service on the free beaches; four million euros for expenses relating to residential communities for mentally disabled people; seven million euros for transport costs for commuting pupils; two and a half million to the municipalities in which UNESCO sites exist; three million to the Municipalities that provide the educational-assistance service through registered institutions. Each Union of Municipalities is allocated 300 thousand euros for a total of 8.7 million euros.
Furthermore, an extraordinary total contribution of two million euros to the Municipalities of Lampedusa and Linosa, Pozzallo, Modica, Augusta, Siculiana and Porto Empedocle due to the difficulties they found themselves in due to the arrival of migrants. In this context, another million euros is awarded to Lampedusa and Linosa for tourism communication and promotion activities.
Design resources
The Planning Fund for Municipalities has been increased with an allocation of 50 million euros for 2024, useful for equipping itself with projects and accessing the investments foreseen by community and state programming.
Regional staff and pension fund
A total of over 1.6 million euros have been allocated to increase the ancillary economic benefits of regional staff. For the reclassification of regional employees, 3.4 million euros are foreseen (equal to 0.55% of the 2018 wage bill) and 4.3 million euros for the contractual renewal. The Region’s Pension Fund will be able to establish its own organic role and define its own staffing needs, overcoming its historical shortage.
Historical precariousness
A total of over 56 million euros have been allocated for ASU workers to cover the continuation of activities and for hourly integration up to 36 hours per week. For former Pip workers, however, almost 30 million euros are foreseen for the continuation of the activities of this pool and 7.5 million for the stabilization of an initial contingent, following the negotiations conducted in recent weeks by the Department of Economy .
Cultural events
A total of 10 million euros have been allocated for “Agrigento Italian Capital of Culture 2025”. One million for the 2025-2026. The allocation of Furs, the single regional fund for entertainment, goes from 5.3 million to 6.8 million.
Various services and interventions
Five million euros for interventions on rural roads, 1.5 million for the recovery of seaside villages. Almost 16 million euros to cover the new tender for the ten-year assignment of the management of the watermakers on the smaller islands of Pantelleria, Ustica, Lampedusa, Linosa and Lipari. 22 million euros have been allocated (for each of the years 2024, 2025 and 2026) for the adjustment of the healthcare fees that the Asp correspond to Cta, Rsa and rehabilitation facilities that take care of fragile subjects, which are added to the allocation of 160 million euros in favor of the seriously disabled.
Gas extraction royalties
The Region recognizes the Municipalities of Gela, Licata and Butera, as compensation for the extraction of hydrocarbon deposits, a share of up to a maximum of 30 percent of the rate due to the Sicilian Region.
Schifani’s words
«I define it – said the President of the Region, Renato Schifani – as the first real finance company of the Schifani government. It relies entirely on regional funds and is therefore protected from challenges linked to the possible uncertainty of coverage. Sicily receives, added the governor, an agreement with the State “which is historic” with “the alignment of health spending coverage” which will reach 42% from 49% in 2030 with an annual payment of 600 million euros. Among the characteristics of the Maneuver, the encouragement of work with “unprecedented measures for permanent hiring, encouraging young people who have left Sicily to return and companies to hire”.