The earthquakes of May 20th and 29th, 2012

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 16:02:22 +0000
Num. 36

A provisional report of a dramatic experience

The earthquake in Emilia has left profound scars, caused suffering and added further difficulty to what was already a complex economic situation. There has, however, been an extraordinary response to this disaster.

We know that nothing will be the same as before, but we are determined to leave this tragedy behind and to be better equipped than previously with regard to anti-seismic safety, respect for the environment, efficient energy use, quality of work and economic competitiveness. We look to the future, without forgetting what the earthquake meant in Emilia: we can not forget the heavy loss in terms of human lives, the many injured and thirteen thousand made homeless.
My thoughts are with the individuals, struggling with the hardships and sacrifices of daily life, but also the mayors and administrators, employers, trade unions, volunteers and civil protection technicians, and to all those who have continued to toil tirelessly, day after day. We have worked together right from the start: employers, trade unions and the v oluntary sector have helped to shape the process of reconstruction. And because of this, eight months after the earthquake, I believe that we can finally begin to look to the future with a greater degree of serenity. We have the resources required: six billion euros to rebuild and guarantee the safety of homes and buildings, another six billion which companies, and to some extent workers, will have the opportunity to delay tax payments in instalments over two years, starting from next June. Finally: thanks to the commitment of Parliament, the decision to raise the contribution for the reconstruction of damaged houses from 80% to 100%. We encountered considerable difficulties, especially in the startup phase, having to streamline procedures whilst operating in full transparency. This for us is, and will remain, an imperative: maximum effort to simplify procedures and a strong and determined undertaking to respect the rules, all of which must be carried out with the utmost accountability with regard to administrative action. I would also like to remember the extraordinary generosity of the donations which arrived from all over Italy: text messages, concerts, payments made to the Regional Administration and other public and private institutions, etc.. All citizens can trace the money they donated thanks to an online site - http://www.openricostruzione.it/ - which gives an account of the projects funded by voluntary contributions and a work progress report.