From restorations to construction sites: companies now demand deadlines
Appreciation yes, but with a clear condition: to act quickly. After the damage caused by Cyclone Harry, the entrepreneurs of Sicily, Calabria and Sardinia converge on a decisive point: the emergency cannot turn into a permanent ballast for the islands' production system. In Sicily, the widening of the number of beneficiaries compared to the first regional measures is assessed positively; in Sardinia, the timeliness of the government's intervention is emphasised. In both cases, however, the request is the same: the resources must translate into actual liquidity for businesses and concrete interventions on strategic infrastructures. Between drops in turnover, rising logistics costs and compromised connections, the speed of public action becomes the decisive variable.
The common thread of the different positions is clear: it is not enough to repair the damage, the territory must be made safe and the connection networks must be strengthened, transforming this phase into a relaunch project with streamlined procedures and a medium to long-term vision. Extreme weather events are no longer exceptional and the resilience of the productive fabric depends on the ability to react before the crisis becomes structural.
In Sicily, Sicindustria president Luigi Rizzolo welcomes the extension of the relief measures compared to the first regional notice, which was initially limited to coastal activities. "It was a request that we had made clearly," he emphasises, "because the effects of an event like Cyclone Harry do not stop at the administrative boundaries of the municipalities most affected. Overcoming the restricted perimeter recognises, according to the industrialists, the interconnected nature of the regional production system.
The issue of implementation remains central. "It is crucial that the resources allocated are translated into actual liquidity for companies," warns Rizzolo. Many companies are facing drops in turnover, delays in deliveries, higher logistics costs, and supply difficulties. Without timely intervention, the risk is a lasting loss of competitiveness.
Along the same lines Franz Di Bella, deputy vice-president of Confindustria Catania, who speaks of a 'concrete signal of listening' in the extension of relief to inland companies. "There are no A and B series enterprises. Those who have suffered damage must be able to restart, wherever they are'. The hope is that the resources can be supplemented to cover not only material damage, but also the economic losses related to business interruption. "These extraordinary weather events call for the need to strengthen the resilience of the regional tourism system," says Flora Fabiano, president of the tourism section of Unindustria Calabria. "It is essential that, in the presence of exceptional events, adequate liquidity support instruments and extraordinary measures consistent with the extent of the damage ascertained are promptly activated. It is not up to us to assess whether the contribution announced by the government is proportionate to the overall recovery costs; the competent bodies, on the basis of technical verifications, will be able to determine the adequacy of the resources with respect to the real needs. At the same time, climate risk management must be integrated into economic and infrastructure planning, so that the system can reduce vulnerabilities and ensure business continuity'.
