The PSD/Portimão points out, "with rejoicing", the return of the sea link between the Algarve city and Funchal, "fully subsidized by the Regional Government of Madeira", but requires "clarification" by the Government of António Costa and the City Council Portimonense on this issue.
This weekend it was announced that the maritime connection by ferry é resumed on the 8th of July, with a weekly trip until the end of September. In total, there will be 12 trips – one per week – during the summer months, made aboard the Volcan de Tijarafe ship. Prices will be the same as last year.
According to the Portimão social democrats, the return of the sea link between Portimão and Funchal will instill "dynamism" in the "local economy, in tourism in the municipality and in the Algarve region and also in commerce and daily life in Portimão".
The Political Commission of the Portimonense PSD adds that the president of the Regional Government of Madeira, the also Social Democrat Miguel Albuquerque, "has been working to defend and ensure territorial continuity, enshrined in the Constitution, in which the State is responsible for ensuring this type of operations" .
For that party, "it would be beneficial for this maritime connection to be made during all months of the year", which could only happen if the national government subsidized "also the operation", thus creating "real fluidity in the local economy" and not "only seasonal ».
In their communiqué, the Social Democrats contest the position taken by the Minister of the Sea, which "appears to validate this maritime operation as a way to guarantee the principle of territorial continuity", but he publicly stated that "he would transfer the ship's route to Lisbon instead of Portimão".
Now, they question, "if the State [before] denoted difficulties in subsidizing a 21-hour line of maritime navigation, the transfer from Portimão to Lisbon being an increase in time, fuel and tariffs, how can the Government financially justify the reason for the change? ?»
"Does the Government want, in this way, to assume before Portugal that it is not in favor of an investment for the Algarve, in Portimão in this specific case, but that, for Lisbon, it is available, even if it costs more to the public purse?"
But the PSD from Portimo still wants to assert “local responsibilities” and questions the City Council “about what the socialist executive has been doing to defend local interests and how, where and how, they publicly rejected the ineffectiveness of Minister Ana Paula Vitorino to with Portimão».
The Social Democrats even appealed to the executive led by the socialist Isilda Gomes to "publicly assume the disagreement with the Government and to place the economy, tourism and the people of Portimo in front of the party acronym of the Socialist Party".
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