Italy to launch infrastructure plan

GENOA, Italy - The Italian government will launch a plan aimed at making infrastructure safe, a government official said in a newspaper interview on Sunday, after the collapse of a motorway bridge in Genoa killed 43 people.

Giancarlo Giorgetti, undersecretary in the prime minister's office and a leading member of the League party, said the plan would include motorways, bridges and viaducts but also public buildings such as schools.

"It will be a maintenance operation with no precedents, with enormous investment in public works," he said in an interview with Il Messaggero.

This came a day as the Italian cabinet approved new financial aid to support the state of emergency declared in the Liguria region surrounding Genoa, according to local authorities.

Overall, the cabinet approved about 28 million euros ($32 million) in fresh funds, which would add to a 5 million euro tranche allocated from the central government immediately after the disaster, according to the regional governor.

"The (new) figure is linked to the emergency," Giovanni Toti told a press briefing outside the prefecture, after taking part in the cabinet meeting held in the city.

"We are not yet talking about the reconstruction phase," the governor added.

The regional government explained such funds would be allocated to four priority sectors, including assisting 311 families (about 630 people) evacuated after the bridge collapse, and whose houses were likely to be demolished for safety reasons.

The new funds would also help develop an alternative viability system for passengers and goods traffic in Genoa, which is a major container and tourism port for the country.

The collapsed bridge was a crucial artery for the city, and for the entire northwest of Italy, in terms of both passengers and heavy goods vehicles.

The regional state of emergency declared by the government on Aug 15 will help local authorities speed up bureaucratic procedures during the emergency and reconstruction phases.

Xinhua

(China Daily 08/20/2018 page11)