'A day late and a dollar short,’ the government has decided to fine SIRESP SA over claims that the emergency communications system supplied by the company has failed to allow communications during emergencies.
This will not be a cash fine of course, the owners of SIRESP SA are far too influential for that, but the government will agree a discount to the whopping annual cost of a system that in fact needs upgrading or scrapping.
The government may set fines for SIRESP SA to pay but fails to address the functionality of the system, i.e. the system should be able to be operated during emergencies, something it has failed to do during such acts of God as fires, storms and the Pope’s visit.
Prime Minister António Costa’s weak response to the calmour for 'blame and compensation,' in equal measure, will be torn apart by the opposition.
"The responsibilities for what happened in Pedrógão Grande will not go unpunished," said António Costa with the Ministry of Internal Administration due to notify SIRESP SA later this week that the State intends to fine the company for communications failures.
The ‘fine’ will be worked out at the end of the year, when the Treasury is faced with yet another annual invoice from SIRESP SA.
With a list of communications failures in hand, the General Secretariat of Internal Administration will require SIRESP SA to pay penalties in the form of a discount on the annual fee.
SIRESP SA will never have to pay real money to the State and may find further short-cuts and cost reductions to cater for any drop in its income.
There has been no talk, yet, about requiring SIRESP SA to supply an emergency communications system that actually enables personnel to communicate during an emergency.