Territorial Unity Minister Ana Abruñosa said this Friday that the decentralization of powers in the social sphere will require legislative changes to ensure that the new powers of local governments are accompanied by the necessary financial resources.
“We are going to amend the legislation so that transfers are carried out by appropriate means,” Ana Abruñosa told reporters in Coimbra at the end of a meeting with President Luisa Salgueiro and other directors and technicians of the National Association. Municipalities of Portugal (ANMP).
In general, the Minister of Guardianship noted, “it is at the moment of obtaining authority that the specific difficulties” of the process are realized.
However, he added, “we are already aware of the changes [da legislação] we have to do in the social sphere”.
“Let decentralization be carried out with the confidence that the social reaction is adequate to the social reality,” defended the Minister of Territorial Unity in each of the 308 Portuguese municipalities.
Referring to the Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, Ana Méndez Godinho, who at the time was participating in another meeting with the ANMP at the association’s headquarters, Ana Abruñosa said that her colleague understands that the negotiation process in this area can be done “municipal municipality “.
In his opinion, it is important that the new powers “strengthen the social sphere in these municipalities” from January 1, 2023, when at this level all municipalities must apply the regime resulting from decentralization.
Ana Abruñosa stressed that the challenges are varied and vary from municipality to municipality, regardless of their size and geographical location.
“We cannot focus decentralization only on means,” he stressed in response to one of the journalists, citing the protocols that only some municipalities have at the local level with private social solidarity institutions (IPSS).
The transfer of powers from the central administration to the municipal councils in the social sphere “does not comply with the same rules”, which requires “more attention” from the ANMP and the government, forcing, according to Ana Abruños, “if necessary, work in each city” as recognizes Minister Ana Mendez Godinho.
In turn, Luisa Salgueiro, chairman of the board of directors of the ANMP, said that today’s meetings with government members “achieved their goals” as they confirmed “the main problems already identified” and that other meetings are related to decentralization.
In September, the board of directors will hold a new “national tour” of ANMP members, although the current diagnosis “already points to many difficulties,” said the chairman of the Matosinhos city council in the Porto metropolitan area.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
