how (and to whom) government funds will be allocated

Money to Municipalities and a “food aid” of the state for people in difficulty, “to help citizens who do not have i money for grocery shopping“. To cope with the emergency coronavirus, the government has decided to anticipate the transfer to the Municipalities of 4.3 billion otherwise expected in a few weeks from the Municipal Solidarity Fund (the deadline was in May). Prime Minister Conte announced it on Saturday evening during an extraordinary press conference which was also attended by the Minister of Economy Gualtieri (here all the details).

Coronavirus, shopping vouchers and food aid: what the new Dpcm provides

In the new Dpcm – decree of the President of the Council of Ministers – signed by Conte, according to what we read in a draft circulated yesterday, there are also “extraordinary and urgent measures to deal with the food emergency”. In addition to the advance of the Municipal Solidarity Fund, in fact, with an ordinance they will be assigned to the approximately eight thousand Italian Municipalities 400 million euros intended specifically to help those who do not have the money to shop these days.

Aid that will come in the form of shopping vouchers and distribution of basic necessities (food parcels) to destitute citizens. In addition, Giuseppe Conte has also launched an appeal to large retail chains to add an additional 5% / 10% to those who use these shopping vouchers.

Shopping Aid: How (and to whom) government funds will be allocated

A measure of this type aims to stop any social emergency that could arise from the difficulties of a segment of the population in finding resources and basic necessities, after the restrictive measures adopted in recent weeks to counter the spread of coronavirus. How (and to whom) will these government funds be allocated? The funds will be allocated by the social services of the Municipalities. The criteria for allocating the main resources will also take into account the lower per capita income and of country size.

But let’s go in order. In the new decree, the government orders the transfer of 4.3 billion euros to the Municipalities and to this sum adds another 400 million tied, that is exclusively intended to help those citizens who in these days of emergency “have no money to do the shopping”, as Giuseppe Conte explained. The Dpcm will be sent to the Court of Auditors and then published in the Official Journal.

As we read in the text of the draft of the Dpcm – anticipated yesterday evening by the press agency AGI and that in the afternoon it was still subject to further assessments -, the Ministry of the Interior through the national solidarity fund “will proceed with the immediate disbursement of the 66% advance to the Municipalities, equal to 4.3 billion in advance of the final deadline scheduled for May. ” With a Civil Protection ordinance, this sum “will be increased with an advance, out of the resources of the second advance payment of the FSC (Municipal solidarity fund, ed) “, equal to 400 million” to be allocated to urgent food solidarity measures to allow people in need to meet the most urgent and essential needs, by reintegrating the Fund “.

Aid for expenditure, the award criteria: per capita income and number of inhabitants

“The share of the fund allocated to each municipality will be managed and provided by the Municipality itself, favoring the criteria of proximity and subsidiarity “, reads the draft of the Dpcm announced by the government. And again:” The distribution of these additional resources will be based on new criteria, calibrated for the exceptional need, such as the principles of the lowest pro income per capita (50-66%) and in the number of inhabitants (33-50%) – criteria agreed with the ANCI (to evaluate the introduction of the social and material vulnerability index calculated by Istat among the distribution criteria – last available data updated however to the 2011 census).

It is also established that “the resources received by each Municipality for food solidarity will be allocated, with a very simplified and flexible preventive screening (avoiding rigid requirements) by the municipal social services, to all those in need of food “.

“These dedicated resources can be strengthened by each municipality (or by the ANCI, with a pro-quota allocation according to needs) with defiscalized donations of foodstuffs or purchase vouchers or discount vouchers by private individuals, producers, “distributors.

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“It is also foreseen – it is still read in the draft of the Dpcm – the possibility for the Municipalities to purchase shopping vouchers, meal vouchers or basic necessities without a tender procedure. Considering that the FSC does not concern the municipalities of Trentino Alto Adige, the Friuli Venezia Giulia and the Valle d’Aosta, in these territories, with specific provision in the ordinance, the sums are advanced by the Special Autonomies to be restored when issuing a decree-law “.

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