Open letter requests longer deadlines and alternatives for RRP social projects
Social sector institutions have requested an extension until December for the completion of projects under the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) that cannot be finished by July 31, suggesting a supplementary financial solution for these cases.
In an open letter addressed to the President of the Republic, the President of the Assembly of the Republic, and the Government, the institutions estimate that there are currently around 1,000 social support facilities yet to be completed—representing a total of approximately 50,000 places—with the majority of these projects being undertaken by Private Social Solidarity Institutions (IPSS).
In the letter, seen by Lusa, the institutions point out that these projects involve essential community services in areas such as childcare, disability support, continuing care, and home-based support.
They request that, when RRP rules do not allow for the direct funding of the entire duration of a project, the continuity of these projects be ensured through a “complementary solution”—whether national or European—that specifically includes IPSSs (Private Institutions of Social Solidarity).
“Not all calls for proposals are the same. But the willingness to find solutions must be the same,” the institutions state in the open letter, adding that “no viable project that is already underway should come to a halt due to the lack of a timely decision.”
They note that various public officials have already given assurances that funding from other sources will be available for public-sector works, and they express concern at having been overlooked despite their cooperation with the State.
They also point to “contextual obstacles,” such as delays by E-Redes in installing electrical infrastructure, which prevent them from obtaining the energy certification required to complete the projects.
Source: Lusa.
