The Council of Minister met on Saturday morning and, after an 11 hour session, announced a series of measures to dig their way out of the mound of trouble that has arisen due to the State’s lamentable performance in the two summer fires that leaves over 100 citizens dead.
The State will become a shareholder of SIRESP SA, the company that supplied the emergency communications network which failed to work during the two summer fires, with deadly results.
The State already controls SIRESP SA partners, Galilei and Datacomp and will convert debt into shares to control 42.55% of SIRESP at a cost of €8 million. The plan is to take full State control as soon as practicable.
With this emergency measure, the Government wants to "play an increased role in the development and management of this emergency network."
Pedro Marques, Minister of Planning and Infrastructures, announced the acquisition of four new mobile communication stations with satellite links (currently there are two), the hiring of a back-up system with satellite connection to ensure communications in the event of a failure in fiber optic cables which melt in fires.
Marques said that roads and railways will have a ten metre area each side that is kept clear of vegetation. This will be done on 16,000 kilometres of road and 2,500 kilometres of rail.
Marques also announced that the government ‘intends to favour’ the burial of the overhead energy and communications cables in subterranean conduits alongside roads.
Environment Minister, João Pedro Matos Fernandes, announced the hiring of 100 new forestry sapper clearance teams, five in each team, to join the 292 teams that currently exist. He also announced the hiring of 50 new fire watchmen.
The Minister of the Economy, Manuel Caldeira Cabral, announced the creation of a national plan for bio-refineries in order to utilise the collection of dried green matter and forest off-cuts from the cleaning programme.
In terms of money, Pedro Marques pointed to an investment of €8 million in SIRESP SA and €28 million in cleaning roads and railways. The Minister of Environment pointed to a budget in the order of €20 million. Caldeira Cabral spoke of €35 million for refineries, using structural funds, over several years.
The Government announced an allocation of €30 million from the State Budget to support the reconstruction of homes destroyed in the fires and to provide up to €100 million for businesses in a total support package of around €400 million, including social security and agriculture support.
The Minister of Planning and Infrastructures, Pedro Marques, announced that a survey in the regions affected by the fires found that there were more than 500 permanent homes partially or totally destroyed. These will be rebuilt at the government's expense, excluding insured properties.
The Government decided also to "structure a system of in depth subsidy of up to €100 million, with a view to supporting the replacement of burnt equipment and the reconstruction of business buildings." There will also be a line of credit of €100 million and an investment support system of €100 million with €50 million in Community funds.
Again, for businesses, such support will only apply if insurance can not be triggered.
For labour and social security, Minister Vieira da Silva said that about 5,000 jobs will have been affected and announces a series of measures to promote employment, highlighting support from the treasury to pay wages for a period of three months, "probably extendable."
This measure is in the order of €13 million and will cover cases of employment at risk, resulting from the June fires in Pedrógão Grande.
For agriculture, Minister Capoulas Santos, announced support of €35 million, with two credit lines, one of €5 million and the other of €3 million, for the installation of areas for depositing wood and for the purchase of wood at reasonable prices.
Santos said that €15 million will be allocated to "tackle the most serious problems of soil erosion and water contamination.”
The Government will support 100% of the losses up to €5,000 of small farmers and "above this amount, 50% of losses of machinery, equipment, facilities, stables, engines and crops such as vineyards, orchards and olive groves."
"The total figure is in the order of €400 million. It is not enough, but this is close," said Minister Pedro Marques at the second briefing of the day to present the of measures approved by the Council of Ministers in launching its fundamental reform in fire prevention and control systems and to adopt emergency measures to support fire victims.
At the first briefing, the Minister of Justice, Francisca Van Dunem, announced the creation of a special commission to pay compensation to the families of the victims of the fires, with the Ombudsman establishing the amount of compensation.
"It is desirable for us to deal with families as soon as possible," said van Dunem, adding that she can not foresee an exact date on which compensation will begin to be paid.
PM, António Costa, told reporters at the end of Saturday's extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers, "I admit that I have erred in the way I have kept back my emotions."
This was in response to the broadside delivered by Portugal’s president who accused Costa of failing even to apologise for the State’s failure to prevent fires and the subsequent loss of life.
The Government also approved a National Strategy for Preventive Civil Protection, saying it is essential to make the prevention and fighting fires a priority by "reinforcing professionalism and capacity building throughout the system."
"Civil protection is not just for after the calamities. Civil protection has to start with information given in school and to each household, so that we can all be better prepared to protect ourselves from the risks," said António Costa after the marathon meeting.
Portugal's President, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa is on the left.