It would seem that all is not well with European funding in Wales.
As the Western Mail reports here and here, there are real issues emerging not only with the old Objective 1 programme that ran from 2000-2006, but also with the new Convergence fund programme.
Ministers and their spinmeisters will, as usual, dismiss this but it must be remembered that it was the whole subject of Objective 1 which brought down Alun Michael.
If the Assembly, at a time of economic crisis, is squandering opportunities to give Wales a real competitive advantage, then there should be a full investigation by the appropriate Assembly committee and censure for the relevant politicians and civil servants.
Whatever people say about the Western Mail, this type of story does show the paper's reporters at their best and shows the need for proper accountability within our public services.
There have been numerous warning signs about the increased bureaucracy and micromanagement of the latest round of European funds and yet little has been done to address this.
Ironically, I have also heard that WAG staff are frustrated that even their efforts at getting projects out are being blocked by red tape and nit-picking by their own colleagues in WEFO (the body managing the scheme).
If that is the case, then God help the private sector and other bodies applying for funding. Indeed, it seems that it is not unusual for projects to be taking twelve months from submission to approval.
More on this soon.
As the Western Mail reports here and here, there are real issues emerging not only with the old Objective 1 programme that ran from 2000-2006, but also with the new Convergence fund programme.
Ministers and their spinmeisters will, as usual, dismiss this but it must be remembered that it was the whole subject of Objective 1 which brought down Alun Michael.
If the Assembly, at a time of economic crisis, is squandering opportunities to give Wales a real competitive advantage, then there should be a full investigation by the appropriate Assembly committee and censure for the relevant politicians and civil servants.
Whatever people say about the Western Mail, this type of story does show the paper's reporters at their best and shows the need for proper accountability within our public services.
There have been numerous warning signs about the increased bureaucracy and micromanagement of the latest round of European funds and yet little has been done to address this.
Ironically, I have also heard that WAG staff are frustrated that even their efforts at getting projects out are being blocked by red tape and nit-picking by their own colleagues in WEFO (the body managing the scheme).
If that is the case, then God help the private sector and other bodies applying for funding. Indeed, it seems that it is not unusual for projects to be taking twelve months from submission to approval.
Comments
The thing is, we have no vision, no grand plan - we just hop from insular project to insular proposal to another insular project. Nothing big, nothing that will make a real difference.
Just look at Ieuan, he gets pathetically excited over a train and a plane south but never feels the need to make these available on weekends so the commoners can use them and he never thinks of actually building a decent road to try and unite this country, north south and mid
Why are our high streets a disgrace, why is our infrastructure so poor, why do our town and villages look so poor when there's money available to change this? Give people a positive environment and prosperity will follow; would you seriously want to invest in some of our poor areas, the areas that look so gloomy, the ones that need the most positivity?
A colourful high street, nice roads, clean images - these things make a difference; it's up to the WAG and our mediocre bland short-sighted local authorities to start to change things. But they wont
Mr Logicmanblue
This only confirms our suspicions -anyone who is relying on these funds being found or match-funded by GB is in for a nasty shock, should think again and make preparation.
This length of time is ridiculous but even more ridiculous is that even when a project is 'approved' as gold plated - nothing appears to happen! How bizarre is that! Where are the channels for telling the people that these precious projects are actually underway? There should be trumpets, fanfares and flag waving! That would allay all suspicions pretty darn quick.
You need a brain the size of a planet or capable of understanding string theory to penetrate this multi-dimensional mystery. Or else it is just symptomatic of Kafka-esque jobsworthiness multiplied to the power of ten.
Much as one might detest where her radical thinking has taken American neo-cons, Ayn Rand certainly had insight into how bureaucracy and politically corrected socialism (pandering to the apparent 'needs' of the lowest common denominator) can enfeeble and sap the will to live of a capitalist economy.
Arguably, the real reason is that the Irish wrecked it for us Welsh by outrageous milking of the system. WEFO may be hamstrung by new 'conditions' impossible to fulfill without risking punitive legal action from Brussels. They'll be damned if they do and damned if they don't. It will require real political will to break an impasse like this.
I doubt we will see a whiff of these funds before NuLabour figure out a way of diverting them to pay for the colossal debt accruing over the next few years.
But then I may be wrong. I sincerely hope so.
I think this is a matter for IWJ and Rhodri to both thrash out with the heads of WEFO and the EU.
Time is not on our side and after the failure of Obj 1 Funding, Convergence needs to work however the signs are ominous. Sadly for the most poorest areas of Wales, this looks like another opportunity missed