Famorca, Tormos and La Vall de Gallinera will be the first three municipalities to receive the loans for the municipalities affected by the forest fire this summer in La Vall d'Ebo. In order to deal with the damage caused by the disaster, the Alicante Provincial Council has activated the loans, through the Provincial Credit Fund for Cooperation.
For this, the Board of Directors of the provincial body meeting yesterday authorized the granting of credits to the consistories of said consistories mentioned. In the case of La Vall de Gallinera, the president of the Diputación, Carlos Mazón, has signed today with its mayor, Ignasi Mora, the operation, for an amount of 100.000 euros destined to cover the transitory needs of treasury. The approved loan for Tormos also amounts to 100.000 euros, while Famorca has requested 22.500 euros.
"With these loans we want to provide liquidity to the municipalities affected by the fire so that they can face in better conditions the repair of the serious damage that it caused in infrastructure and goods, crops and agricultural exploitations", explained Mazón, who has detailed that These short-term operations are very advantageous for municipalities since they are granted with an interest rate of 0% and are exempt from commissions.
Likewise, the president recalled that, as an exceptional measure for the affected municipalities, the Provincial Council has agreed to increase the maximum amount of short-term credit operations from 100.000 to 300.000 euros. "The municipalities that need it will be able to count on this amount this year in an extraordinary way because our commitment to our mayors is absolute", he pointed out.
This measure is part of the plan that the provincial institution has urgently activated to support the municipalities in the face of this catastrophe. Among the battery of measures that have been promoted is also the granting, by the Costa Blanca Board of Trustees, of a package of aid endowed with one million euros for the revitalization and promotion of the towns and the design of specific plans to recover the tourist activity. The grants will be up to 30.000 euros per municipality.
Aid for drafting prevention plans
In addition, the provincial institution will collect in its 2023 budget an economic item of 63.000 euros to help the municipalities in the drafting of forest fire prevention plans and another of 150.000 euros for the call aimed at the drafting of improvement projects. forest stands. Both items will be increased with remainders up to 1.500.000 euros and 2.000.000 euros, respectively. It will also collaborate with the Generalitat in the recovery of the vegetation cover in the area.
Likewise, Suma offers extraordinary advance payments and grants deferrals for installment payments, while extending the voluntary payment period.
The adaptation of roads to improve communications in the municipalities of La Vall de Laguar, La Vall d'Ebo and La Vall de Seta, for which 600.000 euros will be allocated in 2023, is another of the proposals included in this support plan that It also contemplates the provision of a technical team to the municipalities for consultation, advice and drafting of projects that can benefit from the aid promoted by the different administrations.
"Just as we promised during the first days of the fire, from the Alicante Provincial Council we have put everything in our power to help the municipalities to overcome this environmental crisis", concluded Mazón.
