“We should have moved forward [with this project] yesterday, given that we have been discussing this matter for several years,” the minister told the Lusa news agency after meeting with the municipal government and visiting the GNR station in Castro Verde.

In this context, Neves stated he expects the necessary documentation to be ready by the end of the month, after which the project can proceed.

“The next steps are signing the inter-administrative agreement and carrying out the work,” the minister said, noting the need for “decent facilities” for public servants, local populations, and territorial cohesion.

Asked by Lusa whether the Castro Verde GNR station could also be reinforced with additional personnel and vehicles as part of the renovations, Neves said the Government would seek solutions to make this possible.

“It is a major priority for the Government to provide the best possible conditions across the entire territory,” he said.

In a statement, the Castro Verde Municipality said the local GNR station in this Alentejo town will undergo a major renovation under an administrative cooperation agreement, with an investment of €1,186,836.17.

The project, set to be launched in the coming weeks, will improve the building's operational conditions and enhance working conditions for GNR officers, contributing to higher-quality service for the population and stronger security in the municipality. According to Mayor António José Brito (PS), the renovation has been a long-standing battle, as the municipality has worked with the Government on a cooperative solution since 2018.

“It should have been the Government carrying out the project, but the municipality gladly took on this responsibility because this problem has lacked a solution for decades. And right now, we are on the verge of a solution,” he told Lusa.

The mayor from the Alentejo region noted that the administrative order authorising the investment was published in May, and the “validation of the inter-administrative agreement—to be signed by the municipality, the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Internal Administration, and the GNR—is now being finalised.”

“We will launch the tender before the end of the summer, and if everything goes according to plan—even allowing for the time needed for approval by the Court of Auditors—I believe we could see construction work begin as early as 2026,” said António José Brito.