The "Activar a Baixa" initiative, launched by the municipal company Ambifaro, is seen by the «Save Faro, with Coração» as «something that “opens the door to friends”, reveals great incapacities in the economic and management planes, has no meaning and excludes relevant partners».
The structure, led by José Vitorino and which supported the candidacy of the former mayor in the local elections last September, defends that the initiative must "be annulled and profoundly reformulated".
concerned, is the contest recently launched by Ambifaro, which takes an initiative that had already been launched about a year ago by the association «Faro 1540", but with the name "We are downtown!».
This competition is now led by the municipal company, in partnership with «Faro 1540» and the Commercial Development Association of the Historic Zone of Faro. Your goal is, in short, to choose the five best business proposals that you want to install in unused stores in downtown Faro, who will enjoy “friendly” rents for 9 months.
In a press release, the «Save Faro» he says he has analyzed the process of «an initiative called “Dynamizar the Baixa”» and is disappointed for not having found «an indispensable consistent Program for the Baixa».
Among the criticisms made to the measure, is the accusation that this competition "opens the doors to friends", since, in its regulation, "it says that the jury "can accept applications that do not meet the conditions" - when the regulation itself imposes – which will allow all kinds of discretions».
Article 21 of the competition regulations, to which the movement refers, reads, in full: "The Organization reserves the right to admit to the competition, in exceptional circumstances, candidates who do not meet all the conditions established in this regulation" .
The movement adds: “There is also a lack of transparency, because it is not known who makes up the jury. Furthermore, in point 9, competitors are prohibited from appealing if they do not agree with something about the Contest…».
Another problem pointed out by «Save Faro» is the fact that the competition reveals, in his opinion, «great deficiencies in economic and management terms». "Applicants cannot see the stores before applying, not knowing the location, type, area, value of rents (after the first nine months, in which they are pre-fixed) and other contractual conditions", he explained.
«There are no basic conditions to prepare a sustainable and serious project: how to conceive the value of the investment, the economic and financial viability, a marketing plan and even decide if it is of interest to a certain activity, without these data? It would be working in the abstract, shooting in the dark. Everything has to be defined in advance», they argued.
Finally, defends the movement led by José Vitorino, «support is of little importance when it had to be significant and appealing, preferably associated with banking and other aspects». The fact that this initiative does not include associations “such as ACRAL, CEAL and ANJE” is also criticized.
«Given the profound structural problems of the Baixa, a vast Program with several components is required, instead of this minimalism. Even specifically for what is proposed, in addition to the serious limitations exposed, only five candidacies would be selected and with limited support, not creating a critical mass for the re-launch of Baixa», concludes the movement.
Contacted by Sul Informação, the president of Ambifaro Bruno Lage (who is also president of the Association Faro 1540) did not want to comment on these accusations of the movement led by José Vitorino, considering that it was “a purely political position”.
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