Lisbon, Feb. 16, 2021 (Lusa) - Portugal plans to invest €250 million to combat poverty in metropolitan areas, territories where "pockets of poverty and social exclusion" continue to exist, with populations especially vulnerable to Covid-19.

According to the Recovery and Resilience Plan, out to public consultation as of Tuesday, the Portuguese government allocates €250 million of EU funds for integrated operations in disadvantaged communities in the Metropolitan Areas of Lisbon and Porto.

This amount is intended for vocational training and policies to promote employability, qualification of adults and certification of skills, and the articulation with the social sector for solutions to combat poverty and social exclusion.

Measures are also foreseen for the empowerment of local actors in partnership networks that include central and local administration, associations and companies, as well as the promotion of citizenship and access to rights and civic participation.

It is also intended to elaborate a diagnosis of the population's needs and create literacy programmes for adults, Portuguese language learning and digital inclusion.

Another objective is the "regeneration of socially deprived areas, reversing phenomena of social fracture and promoting social cohesion in metropolitan areas", with physical requalification of public space also being planned.

Access to culture and the promotion of interculturalism are also contemplated, as well as access to health, the fight against school failure and dropout, the promotion of active and healthy ageing, the support to small local businesses, and communities' participation in the management of the programme itself.

The fight against poverty and social exclusion also includes the National Strategy to Combat Poverty. Under the European Pillar of Social Rights, a proposal should be presented during the second quarter of 2021.

SV/ADB // ADB.

Lusa