The Generalitat will assume the direct payment of public works subcontractors

The Generalitat will approve tomorrow at the meeting of the Executive Council a series of measures with the aim of speeding up the procedures for contracting and carrying out public works. Among them, the historical demand of Pimec for the Catalan Administration to assume the payment of subcontractors in public works contracts to avoid delays. This was explained by the Minister of Economy, Alícia Romero, this morning after a meeting with representatives of the Chamber of Contractors of Works of Catalonia (CCOC).

The measures include a change in the rules so that departments can directly tender works of up to 15 million euros. At the moment, they can only commission works of less than two million euros and transfer those of higher amounts to the company Infraestructures.cat, the Generalitat's investment operator. By raising the threshold for the amount of the works, the Generalitat intends to speed up the level of execution of the works.

It will also allow departments to directly tender works of up to 15 million euros.

Romero explained that, at the moment, the Catalan administration takes, for example, between 6 and 7 years to build a school, when other public entities such as local councils do it in two years. Salvador Illa's government will also create exceptions for energy projects linked to health and housing so that the departments can directly tender works above 15 million.

Furthermore, the Government will promote framework agreements to facilitate the contracting of large-scale works from the departments and will encourage SMEs to take charge of more public works, opting for lot-based contracts. Another important measure will be the launch of a new investment operator, called Lidera, which will carry out investments considered to be “economic leadership”. The objective is for this operator, which will be 100% public, to be ready in two months so that it can be active before the summer.