PS councilors in the Lisbon Chamber announced on Wednesday that they will abstain from voting on the proposal for the 2023 municipal budget, rendering the document presented by the PSD/CDS-PP leadership, which rules without an absolute majority, is viable.
“The Socialist Party will make the municipal budget of Lisbon viable for the year 2023, abstaining from the first budget, which is entirely the responsibility of Carlos Moedas as Mayor of Lisbon”reads a communiqué from the socialist council in the capital’s executive branch sent to the Lusa bureau.
Despite the fact that the second budget proposal of the PSD/CDS-PP leadership has become viable, as with this year’s budget, the PS accuses Social Democrat Carlos Moedas of “complete lack of availability” for negotiating policies and measures with the opposition, “even knowing that the president of autarchy needs the votes of the PS or other political forces to approve the budget”.
“Only a year has passed and currency management is a prime example of the arrogance of a minority that quickly took on the worst tics of the majorities”refers to the socialist council in the Lisbon City Council (CML).
In line with what they had defended in the 2022 budget proposal, the socialists emphasize that the feasibility of a minority council budget “it does not mean the acceptance of some lines of force that are beginning to take shape, with which the PS continues to disagree head-on, but the understanding that the city needs stability and guarantees that the choices of the inhabitants of Lisbon are respected”🇧🇷
In this regard, the PS highlights some of the areas in which it believes to exist “a clear setback, divestment or even worrying signals about the strategic future”namely, the increase in Carris debt, the suspension or freeze of 2,000 low-income homes, and the rollback of social investment.
With regard to Carris, the Socialists say there has been a “galloping increase in debt”, indicating that the council company was “debt-free until 2021”.
“Carris’ investment plan envisages the use of bank loans to finance investments between 2024 and 2026 for a total amount of EUR 121.5 million. arguments in favor of its privatization are of serious concern to the PS”point out the socialists, recalling the previous management based on reinforcement of the fleet, worth 90 million euros, insured by municipal funds.
With regard to an affordable income, the PS indicates that the budget and activity plan of the municipal urban repair company SRU drops the planned construction of 545 homes in two subdivisions in Marvila, and that the construction of 400 homes in Alto do Restelo remains blocked.
“In total there are 900 self-build apartments that Carlos Moedas drops, even though he is now entitled to funding from the PRR. [Plano de Recuperação e Resiliência], contrary to what happened in the previous mandate. If we include the three tenders for concessions in Parque das Nações, Benfica and Paços da Rainha canceled by the CML – even after the tenders closed with responses from private candidates – a total of 2,000 affordable housing units were suspended, frozen or canceled by the current executive “adds the PS.
In the social field, the socialists point to the withdrawal of the pledge to build three more intergenerational centers (Ajuda, Álvaro Pais and Bairro da Liberdade), as there are no plans for the creation of senior republics (electoral pledge of the Novos Tempos coalition – PSD/CDS-PP/MPT/PPM/Aliança).
Socialists warn that, despite a period marked by economic problems due to inflation, “the municipality is reducing the investment of the Social Emergency Fund, with an allocation of 7.8 million euros for 2023, a clear decrease compared to the 12.8 million implemented in 2021, the last year of PS management”🇧🇷
“Two months after the chairman of CML announced with great pomp a plan to combat the social impact of inflation, none of these measures have yet reached people and companies.”point to the socialists, who again accuse Carlos Moedas of “too much propaganda”, adding the criticism that he has a speech centered on the government.
The Lisbon municipal budget proposal for 2023 foresees an expenditure of 1,305 million euros, higher than calculated for this year (1.16 billion euros), with the municipality expected to have a 15% growth in current revenues , as well as an investment of 138 million funded by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR).
Fulfillment of electoral promises, among the planned measures are the IMT exemption for young people up to the age of 35 for the acquisition of their own home, for a maximum amount of 250 thousand euros, and the return of 3.5% of the personal income tax (IRS) . to citizens, again by 0.5%, as happened this year, which has risen from 2.5% to 3%.
Other measures that will be implemented in the coming year are the health plan “Lisboa 65+”, with a budget of 1.6 million euros, and the commitment to smooth mobility, with three million, to increase the offer of the Shared Gira cycling network.
This is Lisbon’s second municipal budget of the current term, 2021-2025, chaired by Social Democrat Carlos Moedas, who rules without an absolute majority, with seven elected members of the “Novos Tempos” coalition (PSD/CDS-PP/ MPT / PPM/Aliança) are among the 17 elements that make up the city council.
The first budget of the PSD/CDS-PP leadership was approved thanks to the abstention of the five PS councilors, who received votes against from the rest of the opposition, namely two from the PCP, one from BE, one from Livre and one from the independent alderman of Cidadãos for Lisbon (elected by the PS/Livre coalition).
Source: DN
