Gentiloni thanks Errani for 'excellent'

(ANSA) - Rome, August 21 - 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.