Translated automatically by AI from the Italian original.
The future of waste collection and management in the province of Syracuse, with a contract worth around €160 million, has become the battleground for a new political clash within the centre-right. At the heart of the dispute is the crisis at SRR ATO Siracusa Provincia, the special administration of the company and the procedures that must lead to the new contract, especially given the imminent expiry of the current one on 30 June 2027.
The issue was raised by Luca Cannata, vice-chair of the Budget Committee in the Chamber of Deputies, who submitted a freedom-of-information request to the Municipality of Syracuse and the SRR, also involving the officials responsible for corruption prevention and transparency, with the Prefecture copied in.
Cannata cited regional decree 14/GAB of 12 October 2026, under which a special commissioner was appointed after the resignation of the board members. The Fratelli d’Italia MP sees the special administration as proof of the previous management’s failure and calls into question the political responsibility of the municipal administration, in particular mayor Francesco Italia and Carta.
“Around €160 million for Syracuse’s new waste service and an SRR under special administration just as it must prepare the contract. Anyone who pays the municipal waste tax (TARI) deserves a clean city and to know how decisions are made that will affect the service for years,” Cannata said, demanding clarity on the project, duration, schedule and quality of the services envisaged in the future contract.
The MP also questions the transparency of the personnel selection procedures outsourced to an external body. According to a check of the institutional websites on 9 November, the notices were not available in the SRR sections, while on the contractor’s portal the profiles were still listed as “not open”. Cannata therefore asks to be informed of the current status of the procedures and the remaining steps needed to activate them.
Vincenzo Vinciullo, the provincial commissioner of Grande Sicilia, responded to the MP’s criticisms by urging a reconstruction of the events without oversimplification. According to Vinciullo, the special administration is not linked to recent political events but stems from a communication from the municipal secretary, who had highlighted possible conflicts of interest within the board.
“We must correctly reconstruct the entire affair, without simplification or distortion. We invite MP Cannata, if he has any useful news, information or evidence, to share it and report it in the appropriate forums,” Vinciullo said.
The Grande Sicilia provincial commissioner then shifted the debate to past responsibilities, recalling Cannata’s role in the ATO during his time as mayor of Avola and also noting that his sister, now mayor of the city, is currently involved in the same body.
“Why did he not raise these very criticisms with the same diligence during the years he held those positions? Why did he not act in the course of his duties?” Vinciullo asked, contesting what he sees as a belated stance.
The Grande Sicilia representative also rejected the political accusations and urged Cannata to avoid alarmist statements, arguing that issues relating to the management of companies and territorial bodies should be addressed in institutional settings. In his remarks he also referred to Aretusacque and the need to verify the dynamics of the appointments, calling on provincial councillors to request access to documents on Siracusa Risorse.
Yet the SRR issue inevitably broadens into the political balance of the coalition. Vinciullo recalled the upcoming elections in Avola, Noto and Syracuse and stressed the need to build a common path among the centre-right forces.
Hence the formal request to convene a provincial coalition table to clarify the reasons for the repeated public attacks and restore political dialogue.
