The Italian government recently announced an important initiative to support small Italian municipalities with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants. A fund of 20 million euros will be distributed among 159 municipalities from North to South, for safety and maintenance interventions on municipal roads.
But what are the details of this initiative? How will the funds be managed and what are the expected timescales?
Financing details
The “Road investment fund in small municipalities” was established to guarantee the safety and maintenance of municipal roads in those municipalities that often do not have the necessary resources to adequately manage the infrastructure. The decree of the Head of the Department for Public Works and Housing Policies of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport has made the ranking official for the year 2024, indicating the beneficiary municipalities and the amounts assigned.
The funding provided for each project can reach a maximum of 150,000 eurosa significant sum that will allow fundamental interventions for road safety to be carried out.
These funds will be disbursed in two tranches: 50% upon signature of the contract relating to the works and the remaining 50% after verification and approval of the reporting documentation by the Department for Public Works and Housing Policies.
The decree will officially come into force once registration by the competent control bodies has been completed.
Fund disbursement procedure
The fund disbursement process has been carefully structured to ensure transparency and efficiency. Once the road safety or maintenance project has been approved and the contract for the works has been signed, the beneficiary municipality will receive the 50% of the total financing.
This first tranche allows the municipalities to start the works without having to wait for the full disbursement of the funds.
The remaining portion of the financing, equal to 50%, will be disbursed only after the Department for Public Works and Housing Policies of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport has verified and approved all the documentation presented for reporting. This step is crucial to ensure that funds are used appropriately and that works are carried out to the required standards.
This procedure, although rigorous, is designed to ensure that every euro spent actually contributes to improving road safety in small Italian municipalities.
Reactions and comments
The decree has attracted positive reactions, in particular from the Vice President of the Council and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Matteo Salvini. Salvini expressed great satisfaction with the attention paid to mayors and small communities, underlining how this initiative represents a concrete example of government support.
“We demonstrate, with facts, attention to mayors and small communities“, declared Salvini, highlighting the government's commitment to improving local infrastructure and ensuring the safety of citizens.
This initiative is a significant step towards improving living conditions in less populous areas of the country, which are often overlooked compared to larger urban centres. The availability of funds for road maintenance is essential to prevent accidents and improve the quality of life of residents.
