Portugal’s Minister of the Economy, Manuel Castro Almeida, has admitted that the total tally of damages resulting from a series of devastating storms this winter could amount to almost €1 billion.
The minister said on Tuesday, in Sobral de Monte Agraço (Lisbon district), a municipality badly affected by the storms, that requests for support have already been received from 4,000 companies, which have declared losses of almost €1 billion caused by the bad weather.
“At the company level, there are already many applications; we’re talking about more than 4,000 companies that have applied, for an amount that is already approaching €1 billion – it’s already over €900 million – and there are over 200 applications for aid in the companies’ accounts,” the minister said.
Regarding damage to private homes, more than 11,000 requests for support have already been submitted, he added.
“Payments have already begun to be made by both the CCDR (Regional Coordination and Development Commission) of the Centre and the CCDR of Lisbon and Vale do Tejo,” he said, explaining that the government gave “priority, obviously, to people, then to factories, where people’s jobs are.”
However, he stressed that now is the time to “assess the many losses that the municipalities suffered.”
Source: Essential Business
