The State Budget (OE) for 2018, which was approved by the Assembly of the Republic, shows, in the PS's opinion, that «Algarve is a priority for the Government».
This document was approved with the votes in favor of the PS, BE, PCP, PEV and PAN and the votes against by the PPD/PSD and the CDS.
For António Eusébio, deputy in Parliament and president of the PS Algarve, "this is a budget that continues to invest in the political strategy that has placed Portugal on the path of sustainable growth and the valorization of people, allowing the fair recovery of family income".
«The structural investment in the Algarve is widely included in the OE», guarantees António Eusébio, «in its different reference areas and in domains that are strategic for the region, complementing the enormous effort that the Algarve's public institutions and companies are making. do with the support of European Union funds'.
For this reason, the PS highlights, for example, «the investment, which is planned to start, in the requalification of the Port of Portimão, where it is expected to allocate 17,5 million euros, the interventions foreseen in the requalification of the Fishing Ports of Arade ( Lagoa) and Quarteira (Loulé), with investments of 1 million, or even the redevelopment of the banks of the river Gilão (Tavira), with an allocation of 1,5 million euros».
«But we still have other relevant investments in this area, among which we highlight some such as the navigability of the Guadiana River (1,5 million euros), between Alcoutim and Mértola, or the redevelopment of the Doca de Faro».
In the area of the Environment, the Socialist Party highlights “projects such as new bridge to Praia de Faro, with 2,5 million euros, the requalification of Ilha da Culatra, with 1,5 million, (both in Faro), the hydrodynamic projects of Barras da Armona and Fuzeta, with 6,2 million (Olhão), or the replacement of the Ilha de Tavira jetty with 2,5 million».
In addition, the PS highlights the «investment projects in sanitation and waste treatment, already underway at the WWTP of Faro/Olhão of 13,9 million, or the works planned for the WWTP of Companheira, in Portimão».
According to the PS, «Algarve is currently the only region in the country where all municipalities have signed local security contracts», so «investment» in this area is «a reality».
«Within the framework of the law on the programming of security equipment, interventions are foreseen in the National Republican Guard posts in Almancil (Loulé), Lagos, Aljezur, Olhos de Água (Albufeira) and Vila Real de Santo António, as well as in the facilities of the division of Public Security Police, in Portimão, at the Vila Real de Santo António police station and at the District Command in Faro", it says.
In the area of justice, this party makes reference to the «new project for the premises of the Judiciary Police in Portimão, where an investment of 5 million is expected» or «the resuming of the project for the new prison establishment in the Algarve, which will be included in the Law on the Programming of Prison and Reinsertion System Equipment, where the estimated investment value is 72,5 million euros».
In the area of civil protection and forestry, the OE «predicts a global investment in the order of 680 million euros» and, for the PS, «it is not serious to maintain, even by default, that this investment will not occur or not it will have an impact on the Algarve region, without prejudice to highlighting in the Algarve, and specifically, the investment of 3,5 million euros, already underway, in the Logistic Support Base, in Loulé».
As for culture, tourism and economy, the PS makes reference, to support its thesis, to “365Algarve”, “with 1,5 million euros foreseen, as well as the annual investment foreseen in the OE for the Tourism Region, higher than 5 million".
Added to this is “the national endowment of the Capitalizar Program, a program to which companies in the region will have access and which is of utmost importance given the profile of companies in the region: small and medium-sized companies and micro-enterprises with capitalization problems”.
In health, the «investment planned for the University Hospital Center of the Algarve of 9,6 million euros, as well as the new health unit in Loulé, already under construction, or even the investment in the project to expand dentistry in the region and in the reopening of the proximity services of Azinhal (Castro Marim), Bordeira (Faro) and Cowboys (Alcoutim)».
With regard to mobility, the party gives “special emphasis to the work already underway on the Guadiana International Bridge, with an investment of 9,3 million (in partnership with the Spanish Government), the rehabilitation works of the EN 125 – Connection to the A22 (Olhão), Almargem bridge (Tavira) and Praia Verde roundabout (Castro Marim), worth 2 million, or the Coiro da Burra roundabout (Faro), on the EN2, with an estimated investment of 500 thousand euros».
For the PS, the Government has “a serious commitment regarding the railway, namely the conclusion of the electrification of the Tunes – Portimão and Faro – Vila Real de Santo António, on the Algarve line, which finally has a forecast and timetable, as well as the environmental assessment of the connection to the International Airport of Faro».
In relation to this State Budget, the PSD has already made it public to say that the document has "no funds inscribed" for works on the EN125 between Olhão and VRSA.
The Left Block also reacted to the OE, denouncing that the its proposal to create a tourist tax, to replace toll payment on the A22, was rejected by PS, CDS and PCP.
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