A concrete sign of attention towards the most fragile territories and towards those who administer and live there every day: with the new regional rural programming 2023/2027, Intervention SRD07, the Calabria Region strengthens its commitment, putting in place almost 37 million euros for investments regarding rural roads, electrification, aqueducts and infrastructures for tourist reception and recreational activities.
This is what emerged in the meeting held this morning in the Green Room of the Regional Citadel with the delivery of the financing agreement to the 247 Calabrian municipalities, called to carry out strategic interventions in five fundamental areas, with the aim of integrating agriculture, tourism and valorisation of the territory, also encouraging forms of experiential and seasonally adjusted tourism, to combat depopulation and marginalisation.
“This is an important moment – declared the regional councilor for Agriculture Gianluca Gallo – because it establishes concrete results for those who, as administrators, are on the front line every day in solving community problems: bringing financing to the area is a satisfaction that translates into real answers for businesses, families and citizens”.
“As a regional government, at the instigation of President Occhiuto – continued Gallo – we have chosen to give strong attention to internal and rural areas. In the 2023-2027 CSR programming we have allocated 62 million euros to rural infrastructure, much more than in the previous programming. A conscious choice, because without roads, aqueducts, electrification and adequate services there can be no development or permanence of agricultural activities”.
The financed interventions, which provide maximum amounts of up to 150 thousand euros for municipalities with up to 10 thousand inhabitants and 200 thousand for those over 20 thousand inhabitants, must be completed within 12 months of delivery of the works and in any case no later than 18 months from the signature of the concession letter.
“We are working – added the Councilor – to make public spending increasingly faster and more effective, with simplified procedures. I can anticipate that, if everything goes as planned, Calabria will be among the first regions in Italy to reach 100% of the 2014-2022 RDP spending, without losing even a single euro: all resources brought home for the Calabrians”.
During the meeting, which was attended by the general director of the regional department, Giuseppe Iiritano, the manager of the Competitiveness sector, Francesco Chiellino, and the sole manager of the procedure, Valentina Leto, it was also announced that a new tender will be launched with the aim of strengthening the Calabrian agricultural system, promoting the connection and development of rural areas, with priority to the Municipalities not financed in this round and with the possibility of further scrolling based on the available resources.
“As President Occhiuto has already announced – concluded councilor Gallo – we will continue to strengthen the relationship with the mayors because we know how difficult it is to administer the small communities of the internal areas. Our objective is to give concrete answers to those who, with passion and a sense of responsibility, continue to keep these territories alive”.
With this intervention, the Calabria Region confirms a vision of balanced and sustainable development, based on the strengthening of basic infrastructures and the valorisation of rural areas as an engine of growth for the entire regional territory.