Premier Paolo Gentiloni on Monday
thanked earthquake commissioner Vasco Errani for an "excellent
job" but admitted more efforts had to be made on delays in
reconstruction after last year's devastating quakes in central
Italy.
Errani has done an "excellent job" as Italy's post-earthquake
relief and reconstruction commissioner and will end his mandate
in September "as scheduled", Gentiloni said.
He said the State's commitment had been "exceptional" over an
"unprecedented" series of quakes which hit 140 municipalities,
"almost annihilating" some historic centre.
Gentiloni said "the government will continue to play a
coordinating role in a system that will evolve with a greater
responsibility for regions and local governments".
He said the commissioner's powers would be devolved to them.
Gentiloni urged all administrations from the regional to the
municipal level to make the "utmost effort to speed procedures"
to "overcome delays" in reconstruction after last year's
quakes.
He said that despite the "several billions" invested, "not
everything is travelling at the necessary speed".
Errani said he was leaving the post when his contract runs
out on September 9, as scheduled, denying he was standing down
to move into a different position.
He thanked Gentiloni and his predecessor Matteo Renzi, saying
there had been the "maximum collaboration" with them.
The Italian media has speculated Errani wants to leave the
post to take up a senior position in the Progressive and
Democratic Movement (MDP), a splinter group from Gentiloni and
Renzi's Democratic Party (PD).
All the schools in the areas affected by the quakes will open
on time next month, Errani said.
The series of quakes began with a deadly one on August 24
which flattened village and killed nearly 300 people.
This was followed by two October quakes which wreaked a lot
more damage but did not kill anyone.
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