Back and forth on development and cohesion funds between mayor Basile and senator Germanà. And to make matters worse for the mayor, there is also the matter Senator Dafne Musolino.
Opening the fires in the late afternoon was the mayor Federico Basile that thunders against Minister Fitto: “We won’t stand by and watch them come steal resources FSC 14-20 and PON PLUS 21-27 to mask the government’s failed promises on PNRR funds. The Municipality has spent every possible energy to try to implement the PNRR interventions and stay within the deadlines but the government has thrown away the mask”.
THE FUNDS
Basile refers to the interventions of the Metropolitan City of Messina with i funds the FSC 2014-2020 for which, despite requests to the Cohesion and Development Department, the reprogramming of available resources was never accepted and not committed to 2022despite the request having been formalized according to the indications provided by the ministry itself.
BASILE’S LUNGE
“Today it is clear- It’s Mayor Basile’s lunge– where the Minister intends to take the funds to cover the reprogramming of the PNRR. The Cohesion Decree says it clearly. Even if the Municipalities are in compliance with the times of the PNRR, the government would like to use the PON METRO PLUS 21-27 funds, already programmed and intended for interventions planned by the metropolitan cities, to cover measures of the PNRR which has partly, for reasons not certainly attributable to the Municipalities, defunded, and obviously the economies of the FSC 14 – 20 will also have the same fate”.
A MISTAKE
In essence, to reprogram one part you subtract from another and the mayor stigmatizes the government’s behavior which “ not finding other resources they put down in black and white, with an article of law of the cohesion decree, which they intend to pmake resources from PON METRO PLUS 21-27. In agreement with the other mayors we will not allow this political theft on the management of those resources and we are verifying how to protect in court the FSC 14-20 resources that intend to steal in Messina despite having followed the ministerial indications”.
GERMANA’: BASILE INADEQUATE
The reply from the League senator was immediate Nino Germanà who invites Mayor Basile “ to seriously reflect on his vision of urban regeneration and the scandalous failure to spend the funds already assigned. Basile has demonstrated in a sensational way the total inadequacy of his administration in the management of public funds. He has already lost the 2014-2020 PON funds, returning an initial tranche of 19 million euros. But that’s not all: funding for the Urban Regeneration Plans has been revoked, including fundamental projects such as the Città del Ragazzo and Torre Morandi, pfor a total of over 100 million euros, due to its inability to comply with the PNRR constraint of closing in June 2026″.
Germanà highlights how Minister Fitto’s law decree intervenes to avoid restitution of PNRR funds for municipalities such as Messina that have not demonstrated spending capacity guaranteeing financial coverage with the PN PLUS 2021-2027 and revoking these funds from non-compliant municipalities.
DISASTROUS MANAGEMENT
“This means that vital projectslike the I-HUB, the Fosso car park, the Urban Forestry, the Cannizzaro Galatti school, the projects and services of Messina Social City and all the programming much flaunted by this administration they will never see the light– comments Germanà – It’s clear that the mayor doesn’t have the slightest idea of what true urban regeneration means. The car parks were placed haphazardly, with no regard for the devastating impact on local trade. The policies to support the traders have been ridiculous, limiting themselves to expensive concerts which have had no positive effect on the escape of young people or on the local economy. The city is on its kneessuffocated by disastrous management that has only led to waste and failures”.
The senator then recalls how in recent weeks the mayor changed his mind on the Bridge over the Strait to follow the same change of opinion of Cateno De Luca who became a no pontist during the election campaign.
GERMANA’: BASILE WITHDRAWS
“Basile’s behavior it is unacceptable for those who should lead the city with decision and independence – concludes Germanà- It is clear that the mayor is not capable of making autonomous and thoughtful decisions for the good of our community. His lack of leadership and his inability to formulate a coherent vision are leading our city into inevitable decline. His inability and short-sighted vision transformed the city into an economic and social desert. It’s time he took note of his responsibilities and withdraw, allowing someone more competent to lift this city from the abyss into which it has fallen”.
MUSOLINO: MORE FUNDS LOST
The senator took care of it to make matters worse Dafne Musolino who in recent days had intervened precisely to highlight the stalemate of the situation for the I-Hub and today explains: While Mayor Basile thunders against FITTO for the revocation of approximately 100 million euros unspent from the PNRR, reading yet another homework that they wrote badly, on May 7th he proposed a resolution to the council in which he attests to a new, evident inefficient management of the financial resources of the PON Metro. From the Resolution it clearly emerges that, although the amount of available resources was equal to €153,099,011.02, the Municipality managed to spend only €117,325,828.24 by the deadline of December 31, 2023. This means they were lost as much as €35,773,183 in fundingprecious resources that could have been invested to improve the services and infrastructure of our city. His disastrous management not only demonstrates a lack of competence, but is causing incalculable damage to our community. Instead of lashing out at others, he should focus on his inability to effectively use the funds available. Citizens deserve a capable and responsible administration, not an improvised politician who wastes opportunities (already assigned, moreover) and crucial resources for the development and well-being of the city”.
