Schifani allocates European funds to the salaries of Sicilian foresters

The budget is 248 million, of which 74 from Brussels. A large proportion of the 16,000 forest workers are precarious and will see an increase. On EU money, the president warns: “We will not return even one euro of European money”

The Sicily region closed 2022 without a budget or a provisional year. But one thing it managed to do it: has planned to pay part of the salary increase promised to foresters with Europe’s money. The catch is contained in article 4 of the draft finance law hesitated a few days ago by the junta Schifani, entitled ‘Provisions for the forestry sector’: the overall budget is 248 million, of which a large portion – 74 – carries the imprinting of Brussels. In fact, these are resources from the development and cohesion programme, with which the EU intervenes in favor of the most disadvantaged regions to bridge the gap with the others (or at least try to). But on the island it often happens that the projects receiving funding are late, or not even mentioned; thus, to avoid wasting the loot, it was decided to transfer the sums to the so-called ‘current expense’.