Rui Leão Martinho, President of the Order of Economists, was in the Algarve for the launch of the future Regional Delegation of the OE, which will be headquartered in Faro. O Sul Informação, who signed a cooperation protocol with the Order of Economists, he spoke with his president about the expectations and about the economic situation of the Algarve, in particular of its biggest industry, Tourism.
Sul Informação – What are your expectations of this Regional Delegation?
Rui Leão Martinho – This is the fourth delegation that we have in regional terms and the expectation is that, with the adhesion I've seen here, with the enthusiasm of its promoters, with the youth that they themselves have and the ability to carry out some activities, some of them announced here – such as protocols with the media – this is a very dynamic delegation that, with its work, helps the headquarters, which is in Lisbon.
We have this with regional delegations in Madeira, the Azores and the North, precisely this delegation from the South/Algarve was missing. Because this number of 200 subscribers [in the Order in the Algarve] is not insignificant in relation to the general number of economists existing in the country. Now it is necessary to promote relevant activities, so that people are motivated to register and pay a fee to come and attend these activities.
It is a matter of time for the development of this regional delegation, which is here in the center, in Faro, in a great place to accommodate colleagues from the Algarve, as well as colleagues who are in the south of Alentejo. If there are activities of great interest here, they will also come here to Faro, for a debate, for a conversation, so that they can stay up to date and intervene in the discussion.
SI – The Algarve is going through a serious crisis, with very strong consequences, namely in terms of employment. It is said that it is because the Algarve bet too much and almost only on tourism. As President of the Order of Economists, do you think this was the Algarve's mistake?
RLM – No. The issue of unemployment is now a global issue. First at the European level and then at the level of Portugal as a whole. There may be exchanges where unemployment is more serious, but we cannot analyze the issue with the same criteria as a few years ago.
The Algarve or Madeira, for example, bet on tourism and did well. Tourism is the product that we export the most, it is a very important product in terms of revenue generation. Even last year, despite the crisis, statistics surprised us with a greater number of visitors to Portugal. Competing with so many countries, all of which have their own characteristics of enticement, of motivation for tourists to go, achieving in Portugal to maintain these levels is praiseworthy. It's complimentary for what we do. We continue to have clients from Sun and Sea, as we have clients for sports, golf, and we will have clients for conferences, health tourism and senior citizens. We have to further develop this area, with specific tax conditions and legal sustainability conditions, so that those who buy will know that, for a long period, of 15 or 20 years, the tax conditions, of everything they have, are not changed. to be paid in the country where you make your investment.
The investment in Tourism was not bad, and unemployment in Portugal has to be combined with unemployment issues throughout the European Union. Firstly, in Portugal we have to take measures – and I think we are already doing so – to try to make the lives of those who are already unemployed less dramatic. But that's not enough. To create jobs, we have to quickly take stimulus measures – which include quick licensing, functioning justice, a sustainable legal framework to attract direct investment, whether from foreigners or from successful Portuguese people abroad. It is these new investments that will create jobs.
But all this takes time. And we are in a situation that in Portugal is one of austerity, but in a European Union that is in the same type of situation, which does not help us. There will be a time during which this situation is difficult to change, but there is the expectation that, in the medium term – although for those who are unemployed, the medium term is always a drama – this situation will change and that we will have a new period, which never it will be full employment, but during which unemployed people will decline.
SI – But is it not necessary to reorient the Algarve's economic strategy?
RLM – From the Algarve and the whole country! It wasn't naively that I said that Tourism has many diversities and many nuances. There is still reason to make the apology of the Sun and Sea as our tourist flag, for some, but for others this is no longer enough. For these others, it will be Sport, Health…
SI – Could it also be the Economy of the Sea?
RLM – Yes, the Economy of the Sea. Even now I came from Madeira and the whole theme of the annual conference that the Order of Economists promoted there was the Economy of the Sea. very modest investments and which, therefore, the Portuguese will be able to promote without much effort, as long as they have the capacity and motivation to carry them out, to those of deep-sea exploration, where we may need to make some cooperation, some alliance, some joint venture, with foreigners who are specialists in these areas, such as Norwegians, Canadians. But this is all a part we need to explore further.
But from the combination of all this, there must be an end result of growth not only in the tourist flow, but also in the employment that can grow with it. Until then, we must not lower our arms, because, as I said at the beginning, the fact that we are being sought after by more and more tourists means that Portugal has not had such a bad policy, after all, because it manages to capture armies of tourists, who, for a day, for a week, for as long as it takes, come to Portugal and often return more than once.
Tourism is for us to nurture it, so that we can explore it even more, namely on the routes that are not yet properly explored. But by no means do away with Tourism, which is the main recipe we have throughout Portugal and particularly in the Algarve.
Interview with: Elisabete Rodrigues e Hugo Rodrigues
Veja here all the photos of the presentation session of the Regional Delegation of the Order of Economists.
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