Government has already received 18 500 assistance requests following the bad weather

The Government has already registered 18 500 requests for assistance following the storms that hit the country. Almost half of these are for rebuilding own homes, announced the Prime Minister Luís Montenegro after a meeting with the Civil Protection Authority and local Government officials in Coimbra, together with the Minister of Environment and Energy Maria da Graça Carvalho.

"More than 8 200 requests by citizens and households" are registered, to assist in rebuilding damaged homes. Assistance up to five thousand euros only require photographic evidence of the damage, while houses with damages between five and ten thousand euros will be inspected, which the Prime Minister guaranteed will be "quick" and conducted by the municipalities. Acknowledging the rundown of the municipal services, Luís Montenegro asked that "an effort be made to carry out those inspections as quickly as possible".

In terms of assistance to households with lost income or in need, more than two thousand applications have been registered.

As for companies, there are more than 3 800 applications to a sum that "is already above 850 million euros", which led the Government to boost the cash flow credit facility from 500 thousand to one billion euros.

In the agricultural sector, more than 4 500 assistance requests from throughout the country have been registered, not just from the areas in a disaster or contingency status.

The Prime Minister assured that "everything is being done to resume normality", although there are still 45 thousand people without electricity in the wake of storm Kristin.

Regarding the Portuguese Recovery and Resilience Facility (PTRR), Luís Montenegro stated that the Government is working at full speed to briefly present a structured programme what will help to accelerate the country’s recovery and boost resilience.

The plan seeks to ensure a more competitive economy and strengthen essential infrastructure, covering schools, health, social, cultural, and sporting facilities, as well as roads, rail, communications and electricity grids and water mains. 

"This is a veritable national transformation project that will be the foundation for our future", he stressed.