The president of AMAL-Comunidade Intermunicipal do Algarve Jorge Botelho said that he will expose «the attack that some rent-a-car companies at the Airport of Faro are being targeted and whose only possible outcome will be the closure of the companies themselves”, in a meeting “as a matter of urgency”, which he asked the Secretary of State for Infrastructure, Transport and Communications.
At issue is the measure that ANA Aeroportos wants to implement as of April 1st, which determines that small rent-a-car companies will start to pay a fee of 17 euros for each car delivered to the customer within the perimeter of that infrastructure, whose The foreseeable entry into force causes "great concern" for Jorge Botelho.
A situation that has already motivated a complaint to the Competition Authority by the president of the PSD/Faro and deputy to the Assembly of the Republic Cristóvão Norte, who considers that this measure constitutes "an abuse of dominant position" by that company, recently privatized.
Jorge Botelho met with the Algarve Rent a Car Companies Association (ARA), whose president he revealed to the Sul Informação no sets aside recourse to the courts to stop the measure.. Armando Santana added that the charge of an extra 17 euros, as it was only announced a month in advance, will motivate the 48 micro, small and medium car rental companies (those that do not have their own space inside the Airport) have a loss of close to "one million euros", as a whole, with the reservations already accepted and which do not include this rate.
“These companies, given the activity they develop in one of the main tourist destinations in the country, contributed more than 7 million euros in direct taxes to our country in 2012”, says, for its part, AMAL's management.
«The application of these fees by ANA Aeroportos de Portugal, calls into question the survival of around 40 companies and more than 600 jobs, at a time when the Algarve is the region with the highest unemployment rate in the country». added.
Taking into account the role that the Algarve region plays in the tourism sector at national level, Jorge Botelho considers that this behavior of ANA «does not dignify anyone who visits us, as these rates, in the future, will inevitably reflect on users car rental, which will penalize the tourism sector in our region».
An opinion shared by both Cristóvão Norte and Armando Santana, who consider that the measure may affect the “competitiveness of the regional economy”, as it will end up being reflected in the price of car rental.
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