PS /Faro complains of "blackmail" of Bacalhau and says that Ambifaro is the Chamber's "blue bag"

PS wants parking meters working in the city, but also that Rogério Bacalhau responds to the request for an audit to Ambifaro

the PS Faro says he is being the target of an "attempted blackmail" by the mayor of Faro, regarding the approval of the management of parking meters by Ambifaro, at the Municipal Assembly. Socialists say that the municipal company has become a "blue bag" and accuse Rogério Bacalhau of wanting Ambifaro «continue to be the drain on availabilities» of the municipality, with more «600 thousand euros per year, without accountability to the citizens».

In a statement, the PS says that, in July 2018, when «the Municipal Assembly of Faro approved, by proposal of the PS, an audit of Ambifaro to know the reasons for the presentation of 2,2 million euros [in loss] created in the last 3 years, by that municipal company, I would not expect that such an audit would not be carried out until today».

Socialists also say that they did not expect the «attempt, by the PSD/CDS executive to assign the company more revenue which aims, exclusively, to whiten the responsibilities of the management of Ambifaro» which continues “to be a sink of municipal revenues created by the colossal increase in taxes on citizens since 2013”.

The PS accuses that «the management of Ambifaro, which was commanded by the current elected president of the Parish of Faro, in these last three years, it only served to create a “blue bag” that allowed accounting for municipal advertising expenses, forgetting the Municipal Market and its operators».

According to the PS, «the main focus of Ambi's managementfaro in recent years, it was to assume duties that the Chamber did not want or could not take on in the areas of animation, advertising and more jobs for the local clientele».

This led, according to the socialists, "to insolvency and the risk of legal closure of the company".

The PS also clarifies that "the reasons for the request for the audit were a deviation of more than 1 million euros in the results forecast for 2017, exceeding 1,3 million euros in losses in a year of local elections, the consecutive increase in spending on Supplies and External Services, an increase of more than 400% from 2014 to 2017, as well as in Other Expenses, especially in 2017, which led to a loss of 2,2 million euros».

the PS Faro says that "any citizen just needs to consult the public contracting platform "Base Gov", and will verify that by 2019, Ambifaro spent more than 1,69 million euros on service contracts with third parties, most of which consisted of direct agreements».

The "absolute lack of control between budgeted and executed amounts, which highlights the excessive increase in expenditure on personnel and hiring without any evaluation mechanism" are also pointed out by the PS as reasons why "the hiring and carrying out of the audit requested by the Assembly City of Faro he is hostage to the president of the Chamber».

Faced with the accusations, the PS questions "how the current PSD/CDS executive has the audacity to, without even deign to answer the Municipal Assembly, come to propose that it authorize the addition of 600 euros per year to this feast from the new expected parking revenue charged, putting as an alternative, the closure of the company, whose ruinous management made it go bankrupt in three years, imposing on that body the burden of such a wish?».

The socialists clarify that they defend “that there are parking meters in operation and supported, with their votes, that this function be municipalized, but expects the responsibility of mayor Rogério Bacalhau to respond to the audit, clarify these results and commit to changing the procedures of future assuming the consequences of those who managed Ambifaro to the detriment of the interests of the residents of Faro».

The PS defends "that public bodies should guide their action by the principle of transparency, as enshrined in the law, with the Municipal Assembly being an organ
legitimately elected, through the attributions assigned to it, which must assess the activity of the executive, in full democratic exercise of the powers that
are conferred on it by the residents of Faro».

Rogério Bacalhau told reporters on Friday that, without the management of parking meters, Ambifaro it can close doors and that “the tender procedure” is in progress for the company that will audit the municipal company.

Until this imbroglio is resolved, parking meters in various parts of the city are still free.

Comments

Ads