Redaccion
The Xunta Council has approved a new aid order on Monday for the technological and digital modernization of rural Galician gas stations that will allow, among other measures, to have a cash withdrawal system similar to the one offered in bank branch ATMs.
Specifically, the Galician government estimates a gradual implementation with the goal that by 2028, around 200 gas stations – half of those currently affiliated with the Galician Federation of Service Stations (Fegaes) – can have it.
The aim is for people living in municipalities with less than 20,000 inhabitants and without a nearby bank branch or ATM to be able to go to the nearest gas station and access small amounts of cash, «ensuring the confidentiality of banking data at all times.»
The order, promoted by the Ministry of Economy and Industry, has a budget of 800,000 euros and includes, in addition to cash availability, aid for the installation of generators to ensure electricity supply in case of a power outage like the one that occurred on April 28.
BENEFICIARIES
The new aid order is aimed at legally constituted SMEs and self-employed entrepreneurs who own gas stations located in Galician municipalities with less than 20,000 inhabitants (290 municipalities).
Each applicant can submit a single request that may include one or more of the actions covered by this innovative support program.
In addition to integrating systems and equipment for cash withdrawals, support can be requested to improve payment methods or operational management of the gas station, as well as for the implementation of digital platforms to optimize the process of acquiring products and services offered at the establishment.
It is also possible to include systems and equipment aimed at improving the security of the facilities and those that guarantee the services offered by the gas station in case of power supply interruption, either through generators or uninterruptible power supply systems linked to digital equipment.
Additionally, costs for staff training in the use of new technologies and necessary works associated with the incorporation of the mentioned equipment can also be included.
Regarding the amount of aid, it will be 50% of the budget with a maximum of 30,000 euros per beneficiary, except in the case of generator installations, where the support increases to 80% with a maximum of 5,000 euros per beneficiary.
RURAL CAMIÑA PLAN
On the other hand, the Xunta Council has analyzed the execution of the Rural Camiña Plan for the years 2025-2026, in which aid worth more than 18.37 million euros from own funds has been granted, mobilizing over 94% of the budgeted amount, as highlighted by the Galician government.
As pointed out by the Xunta, the resolution of this call will allow the implementation of 626 actions on almost 513 kilometers of municipal roads. The objective, it added, is to finance improvement or maintenance actions on municipal roads that provide access at any point on their route to at least two agricultural plots.
By provinces, 189 of the actions correspond to A Coruña; 174 are in Lugo; 167 in Ourense; and the remaining 96 in Pontevedra. The distribution of kilometers of road improvements is 184.54 kilometers in Lugo; 141.65 in A Coruña; 135.23 in Ourense; and 56.36 in Pontevedra.
