Third Budget: Schifani: "Investments to fight poverty are planned."

"This is a budget that, between the €50 million in June and the €400 million in the coming days, will be spent on investments, social work, and poverty reduction." This was stated by Sicilian Regional President Renato Schifani, speaking about the third budget, on the sidelines of the inauguration of the emergency room at the Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto hospital in the province of Messina.

"I remember," he adds, "that when budget maneuvers were made at the municipal, regional, or even national level, they were done mid-year to find resources, to replenish some chapter that had run out, and then they were moved from chapter to chapter. The maneuver was useful for this, to cover chapters that had run out."

"Now," Schifani emphasizes, "the approach has changed, because for two years we've been implementing an expansionary approach, which expands existing chapters and even creates new ones, like video surveillance. So the trend is objective, which is why it's now being discussed in positive terms."

"Until a few years ago," he continues, "the conversation was negative. The economy was performing differently, obviously for many reasons, but I'm talking about budget measures at the municipal and regional levels. When we talk about budget measures and changes, these changes naturally have a plus sign, whereas in the past, budget changes had a minus sign. The trend has changed." He then concludes, "We hope to conclude this process by Wednesday."

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