The Parliamentary Committee on Finance had before it a series of releases of funds that were crossed during the voting of the 2017 Budget. Among them, there was a fund for the advance payment of 230.000 euros for 14 ambulances which will be delivered in 2018.
Half a million for road paving in Avgorou and Deryneia
Members of the Finance Committee were asked to clarify the amount of 250.000 euros to the community of Avgorou. The responsible official stated that the amount falls under the announcement made by the President of the Republic for projects in the community of Avgoros and the Municipality of Deryneia. He added that Deryneia was ready and received 2016 euros in 250.000, while the community of Avgorou is now able to proceed with the implementation of the paving of the roads that emerged with the construction of the sewer. He stated that there were frictions with the contractor and the roads were left in a very bad condition and coatings had to be done.
In the release of funds for the purchase of fixed and mobile machinery, the release of 430.000 euros was requested for 3 large forest firefighters - snowplows and 8 large forest firefighters which will be delivered in 2018 and 2019, 900.000 euros for 15 small forest firefighters, 400.000 euros for two, 325.000 euros for two euros for the purchase of 7 buses for transporting children to special schools, 340.000 euros for 4 trucks, 150.000 euros for 7 vehicles for officials and 650.000 euros for the purchase of 55 vans for messengers and synergies.
As explained to the Finance Committee, by the competent official after questions from MPs about the vehicles of the officials in 2015, 20 exclusive vehicles were purchased for the officials, ie vehicles for the state officials and the Ministers. Of the members of the Council of Ministers, only the Minister of Interior, Socrates Hasikos, did not take a vehicle, he clarified.
He also explained that the vehicles used by the Directors-General and the Commissioners are non-exclusive.
He added that the 7 vehicles are to replace the immobilized vehicle of the President of the Educational Service, the Negotiator and the Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, the Commissioner for Legislation and 3 General Managers.
Some cars have completed their life cycle, he continued, adding that the decision to replace is made based on the kilometers traveled by each vehicle and the cost of maintenance.
The 20 new vehicles purchased in 2015 had a purchase cost of 22.000 euros each, which with the five-year maintenance contract amounted to 30.000 euros each.
He also told the Finance Committee that about 50.000 vehicles a year are spent on exclusive vehicles. He added that in the first year that the 20 new vehicles were purchased, the maintenance cost was reduced to 16.000 euros.
In the releases requested by the Ministry of Health, there is a budget of 25.000 euros for the purchase of vaccination services for the students of the first and second grade of high school against the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is responsible for cervical cancer in women. The relevant note of the Ministry of Health states that 5.000 vaccinations will be carried out in the period March - May 2017 and another 5.000 vaccinations in the period September - November.
The note of the Ministry of Health states that the release is urgent as the first dose of the vaccine has already been given to schoolgirls in September - November 2016 and the second one must be given within 6 months.
The dismissals requested by the Ministry of Health contain a budget of 600.000 euros for the costing of services by public hospitals. According to the relevant note to the Finance Committee, the costing will be carried out in the context of the autonomy of public hospitals and it is required that each hospital be able to prepare its own budget for 2018 on the basis of actual costing of medical operations.
The note further states that the cost will not exceed 600.000 euros and the start of work begins with the release of the fund. It is added that the preparation of a "shadow" budget must be completed before the third quarter of 2017 so that each hospital is able to become financially autonomous in 2018.
A € 200.000 release was also requested for the purchase of legal and technical advisory services of the other pillars of health reform. The note clarifies that in addition to the autonomy of public hospitals and the implementation of the GESY, the framework for health sector reform includes the establishment of a legal framework and the implementation of e-Health, the creation of a National Medicines Agency, the legal regulation of University beds, culture and medical use of cannabis and more.
The Ministry of Health was also asked to release 20.000 euros for the purchase of secretarial services by one person for the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Program and 6.000 euros for the purchase of secretarial services by two individuals for the entry of data in the medical birth register.
A release of 25.000 euros was requested from the Social Security Services for the purchase of services of 9 people covering the emergencies that arose for the implementation of the law on overdue social contributions, which came into force on September 1, 2016.
The note states that so far 9.500 applications have been submitted and around 10 million Euros have been collected. Furthermore, 1.500 objections arose, which are reportedly increasing daily and must be processed, therefore it was deemed necessary to extend the contract of 9 people for another three months.
A request was made to the Commission for the release of a budget of 17.000 euros for the purchase of security personnel services at the Service and Welfare Benefits Management Service. The relevant note accompanying the request states that the incidents of aggression against officials who staff the Welfare Service and Management Center have increased, as a result of which the officials and citizens served at the Center are in immediate danger.
The Ministry of Interior requested the release of 349.000 euros for projects in communities.
Specifically, 20.000 euros for financial support, 20.000 euros for damage to the road network of Agioi Trimithias, from the installation of sewerage pipes, 5.000 euros for landscaping works of the community of Aska, 30.000 euros for the continuation of construction works of wing walls and grills in parts of the river Komiti Astromeriti, 250.000 euros for the paving of the roads of the community of Avgoros that were affected by the works in the sewerage, 20.000 euros for the restoration of the damages of the road network inside Kokkinotrimithia that suffered damages from the installation of the sewerage pipes, 2.500 euros for the community of Kormakitis repair of damages in the road network caused by the bad weather conditions, 20.000 euros for the repair of damages in the road network, due to a sewerage system in Paliometocho and 1.500 euros for landscaping of the community of Houlou.
Source: KYPE