Economists present economic model for the Algarve and hope that parties will take advantage of it

Developing tourism and a new regional economy and creating an administration friendly to investment and with competitive political capacity are the three proposals of the Algarve Regional Delegation of the Order of Economists for a Regional Economic Model.

The document, presented yesterday in Faro, which intends to be a contribution to the electoral programs of political parties for the Legislative Elections, also mentions 18 measures to implement these proposals.

For the development of Tourism and its "linkage effects", the Order proposes, for example, "a bet on cruise tourism", a "commitment on nautical tourism with the creation of Sea Centres", or "the adjustment from the taxation associated with VAT to that practiced by external competitors, as a way of increasing the attractiveness of the prices charged».

For the development of a “new” regional economy, it will be necessary, according to the working group that prepared the document, “to expand the irrigation networks of the dams, to implement the removal of silt in the Rias and Barras, “as a way to encourage logistics to the ports and respective maritime transport", carry out interventions in the port of Portimão and propose an intervention in the Loulé cargo terminal, or even create "a working group for the debate and study of the environmental, economic and social impact of gas prospecting natural in the Algarve».

Among the measures of action presented for the «creation of an Administration “friendly” to the investmentdevelopment and with competitive political capacity", the guidelines suggest the development of the concept of "one-stop shop" for people and companies, the reorganization of the deconcentrated State administration, or the reorganization of the form of management and competence in the management of structural funds in a single entity, CCDR Algarve.

Pedro Pimpão, president of the OE Regional Secretariat, speaking to the Sul Informação, he said that there is, in the document, the intention to launch the debate in “three fundamental areas, according to the diagnosis made: water and sanitation, in order to understand and make a contribution to the water privatization model; Health, debating whether the governance model should be changed or not; and transport, which require a deeper discussion and analysis».

To these questions, Pedro Pimpão adds another that he considers «fundamental: the discussion of natural gas exploration in the Algarve. It is necessary to understand the environmental, social and economic impact of natural gas prospecting in the Algarve. We think that the official institutions must take up this matter and must debate it without taboos, and without any problems, with society».

Pedro Pimpão considers that “it will be up to the parties to know what to do with this document and, eventually, to include some of these proposals in institutions that, indeed, are responsible for implementing the vision. This is a strategic orientation that the region does not have, and that it should have, and there is now a window of opportunity in the next legislatives so that it can be taken advantage of by any party whatsoever».

The Guidelines for a Regional Economic Model for the Algarve were the result of a study by a working group composed of six economists: Adriano Pimpão, Hélio Barros, João Calçada Correia, Paulo Rodrigues, José Leite Pereira, Francisco Severino and Francisco Mendonça Pinto.

In the formulation of the document Guidelines for a Regional Economic Model of the Algarve, some opinion articles published in the Sul Informação, under the protocol with the OE, «mainly in the part of the proposals, as can be seen in the bibliography».

The document can be downloaded, in full, here.