The mayor of Monchique Rui André fears that the government is being the target of lobbying pressure for the exploration of feldspar to advance in the municipality. The mayor's fear is based on the response of the cabinet of Álvaro Santos Pereira, minister of economy, to a request for clarification presented by PCP deputy Paulo Sá on the prospecting and research of that mineral in the Monchique mountains.
In the response of Álvaro Santos Pereira's office to the PCP deputy, the Sul Informação had access, it is read that «the Portuguese State is often asked about the reasons that lead to not more effective use of a resource with such high economic and social potential, and there are even studies carried out by the University of Algarve that refer to possibility of existence of the so-called “rare earths”, which are so scarce all over the world».
It is this point, the 13th of a set of 21 that the Ministry of Economy and Employment dedicates to the topic, which makes the Monchiquense mayor fear that the issues mentioned by Álvaro Santos Pereira's office are made by lobbyists.
To Rui André, who spoke with the Sul Informação, this point “suggests that the Government is being pressured by lobbying, which is serious”.
The Monchique mayor also did not like to see that, in the response given by Álvaro Santos Pereira's office, the arguments presented by the municipality against this possibility were cited as an opinion, which would indicate that, «with the necessary precautions regarding the issues highlighted, the prospecting and research work may take place».
According to the mayor, "there was a misinterpretation of the position of the municipality which, in a skilful way, was reversed".
Rui André already sent a letter, on October 18, to Álvaro Santos Pereira asking for a hearing on the subject and requesting clarification on the reference to the position taken by the municipality, «namely on who issued and transmitted [the minister] this false information regarding the “opinion” of the Municipality of Monchique».
In the same letter, the mayor also explains that «the Municipality of Monchique was never officially consulted for this purpose, but, by self-initiative, promoted a broad debate on the matter, deciding, at the stage of audience of interested parties, to manifest his unequivocal disapproval of possible prospecting and research in the area of the county».
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