After reaching the 51 goals of December 2021 and 45 in June 2022, paid by Brussels with a check for 48.2 billion, Italy is also well on its way to those to be reached in December 2022 (which are worth another 21.8 billion ). This is certified by the second report on the state of implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan sent yesterday by the government to Parliament. And also on the investment front, which is affected by the increase in costs, the government ensures that by the end of the year the expenditure actually disbursed will be in line with the latest forecasts. In short, there are no delays in the implementation of the NRP, so much so that, also with regard to the second half of this year, implementation is proceeding more rapidly than the original time schedule: 21 of the 55 planned objectives and targets have already been achieved which, assures Draghi, they will rise to 29 by the end of the month.
“Significant results” defines the premier in the introduction of the Report, recalling that “the end of the legislature required an additional effort, to ensure that, after the elections, we could start from a position as advanced as possible”. «The PNRR is a unique opportunity for the relaunch of Italy, for overcoming territorial, gender and generational inequalities – writes Draghi -. Its full implementation is fundamental for the credibility of our country towards citizens and international partners. We need to keep the commitments made and, to do so, we need everyone’s support ».
According to the monitoring of the Mef up to the end of October 4, 334 procedures have been activated between tenders, tenders and tenders, 291 already concluded for a value of 62.4 billion, and 43 (32.3 billion) still in progress. The transition from the old to the new government coincides with the conclusion of the first phase of implementation of the plan, “dedicated above all to the design and approval of reforms” the premier recalls, signing this full-bodied report which exceeds the 280 pages included in the attachments. “In the coming months and years, these reforms need to be implemented on the ground, continuously monitoring progress towards achieving the quantitative objectives indicated in the NRP.
For investments, the phase relating to public procedures for allocating resources to implementing bodies is largely over: it is now necessary to ensure that investments are completed on time and in the manner provided, ensuring that European resources are expenses in a transparent and honest way “. Not only that, but the implementation work “must continue until the end of the plan with the same strength and effectiveness following the method, consolidated in the past months, focused on the careful monitoring of objectives and implementation times, in a context of fair and effective cooperation”. The warning came from the rating agency Fitch, according to which the space to change the NRP is “limited” and therefore “the approach of the next government to any potential renegotiation will be important both for growth and for market sentiment” . Giorgia Meloni is warned.
This year I spent 15 billion out of 29
To date, payments are mainly attributable to the so-called “existing projects”, generally provided for by provisions prior to the NRP and, therefore, in a more mature implementation phase, explains the government. They concern the construction of works and infrastructures, investments linked to ecobonus and earthquake-bonuses and those aimed at supporting the technological transformation of companies. From 2023, the funds will mainly be allocated to new interventions. To date, payments of 6.2 billion have been reported against the approximately 15 expected (and now confirmed by the government) for the whole of 2022 and the 29.4 previously estimated. “The missed payments – explains the government – are in line with the deadlines and methods of implementation of the measures” and will be recovered by the end of the plan.
Three heavy reforms to be completed immediately
Of the 55 commitments to be achieved by the end of the year, 10 concern the Ministry of Technological Innovation, 9 Transition and 5 Infrastructures, 4 each for Labor and Economy. However, one of the most important deadlines concerns the completion of the reform of the civil and criminal trial (the 8,734 recruitments envisaged for the trial offices must be completed within the year). Therefore, the decrees to implement the new law on competition must be adopted (including the measures on bathing establishments and taxis that are the subject of much controversy), the Regions must instead adopt the implementation plans of the Gol program (Guarantee of employability of workers), in the field of infrastructures the award of works on the high-speed line on the Naples-Bari and Palermo-Catania lines must be completed.
Digital, cities, kindergartens, the first investments
Between calls and tenders, 334 procedures have been launched for a value of 94.7 billion. Among the most important interventions are the contracts linked to the “Italia a 1 Giga” plan for a value of 3.5 billion, the urban regeneration and social fabric initiatives have already allocated 3.4 billion to municipalities for the first 1,800 projects 2.82 billion have been earmarked for reducing housing deprivation in cities, while over 3 billion have been used to finance 31 “Integrated urban plans” which will be used to create new personal services and upgrade infrastructure in degraded urban areas. The “Italia 5 Giga” Plan has absorbed almost 2 billion, 3 billion have been allocated for the construction of new nurseries while 750 million will go to the recovery of over 300 villages.
Experts and technicians to help the Municipalities
The administrative structures of the subjects called to implement the NRP, in particular the local authorities, are strongly urged by the Plan, “the implementation of which places considerable organizational and result pressure” acknowledges the report to Parliament. For this reason, various interventions have been implemented: the hiring of 1,000 experts to be employed for 3 years to support administrations in managing the new procedures to provide technical assistance, 2,800 technicians to strengthen public administrations (with funds from the national budget ) and measures to strengthen new hires. In addition to this, support is provided in the form of technical assistance services and operational technical support through agreements with publicly held companies.
Additional funds against high prices
To respond to the increase in the prices of energy and raw materials “the tools for adjusting the costs of the works have been strengthened”, explains Draghi in the introduction accompanying the report on the NRP. Interventions carried out on several occasions also accompanied by measures of a general nature that also aimed at helping families and businesses. For public works in particular, the intervention margins of the contracting stations were then extended and the use of additional funds was authorized, from the Fund for the continuation of public works to that for the price adjustment repeatedly refinanced whose endowments are have also been increased by over 2.5 billion in two years. A non-deferrable works fund was then set up which is worth 8.8 billion until the end of 2026.
High Guard Against Crime
The breadth and variety of the interventions envisaged by the NRP, a multiplicity of economic and productive sectors, and the enormous figures at stake have forced the government to pay particular attention to safeguards aimed at guaranteeing the correct use of funds and to avoid criminal infiltration. Draghi defines the control system put in place as “very incisive”, which relies on anti-mafia procedures and at central level on the permanent monitoring and analysis body on the risk of mafia infiltration, an inter-force structure headed by the criminal police. The monitoring activity at the local level is coordinated by the prefectures in application of the various legality protocols. Controls by local administrations were then strengthened with specific staff hiring.