The PS, PCP and BE councilors in the Lisbon Chamber this Wednesday criticized the lack of transparency of the PSD/CDS-PP leadership in the municipality’s investments for World Youth Day, including the podium altar for which 4.24 million euros was contracted.
From the PS council, Pedro Anastácio demanded clarification from the PSD/CDS-PP leadership, which rules without an absolute majority, about the contract, by direct agreement, of the work for the World Youth Day (WYD) podium shrine, for the value of 4.24 million euros, given that there is “an absolute lack of transparency” and the warning that this amount “exceeds the legal limits of exception” defined for the organization of the event.
According to information made available on the Public Procurement Base Portal, the construction of the podium altar was “awarded for 4.24 million euros (plus VAT)”, adding to that value “1.06 million euros for indirect coverage of foundations” .
The socialist Pedro Anastácio asked about the change in the SRU company’s procedures for communicating with all members of the executive about the works for WYD and about the involvement of event promoter Álvaro Covões and how he represents the municipality.
PCP councilor João Ferreira reiterated Thursday’s request for access to the “file” on WYD, acknowledging the “difficult situation” of WYD preparation when “little happened” in the previous executive, but stressed the obligations of transparency and rigor. criticizing the lack of information about investments in the altar stage and expressing doubts about how “such a project can be used in the future”.
With a request filed in July about the contracts for holding the WYD so that there is transparency, the sole councilor of the BE, Beatriz Gomes Dias, again asked for clarification on compliance with the Code of Public Procurement, referring to the costs for the podium altar “is excessively high” and considered that “it is inexplicable that a direct adjustment contract is made for this value”, concluding that “it is a bad decision”.
In response, the mayor of Lisbon underlined that he was “the first” to show his concern about the costs of WYD, recalling the dialogue he had with the government and the church so that “all costs were calculated and everything was transparent “. in which he assumed that the municipality would not invest “above 35 million euros” in the event.
“I was concerned about the details of these costs, but I was really concerned: who did it, who paid for the screens, whether it was the government, whether it was the council, who paid for the bathrooms, whether it was the government .” , if it was a room. All this was discussed and all this was worked on and all this was agreed”said Carlos Moedas (PSD).
As for contracts by direct agreement, the mayor defended that this was the only way to get everything ready for WYD’s opening day, which will take place August 1-6.
“The only way we effectively have to get everything done that day is the so-called direct adjustment, but I didn’t go, and that decision was political, we didn’t go for what would be a pure direct adjustment”explained Carlos Moedas, who explained that the contract for the work for the podium altar came about after consultations with seven companies, discussing the various proposals and “there were prices of about eight million euros”.
To ensure there was “all transparency”, with companies consulted and prices slashed in the process, the PSD mayor concluded: “Here the main question is not whether it is four million or five million [de euros]is that if we really want to hold an event of this magnitude, it must happen, it must be realized, it is the image of Lisbon, it is our image, it is the image of the country”.
The deputy mayor of Lisbon, Filipe Anacoreta Correia (CDS-PP), who is responsible for the preparation of the WYD, emphasized that the works carried out to organize the event will remain in the city, including the podium altar.
The mayor also classified that the works in question are “an asset” from an environmental point of view, as they take place on the land of the old Beirolas landfill and will “provide a much greater return than the investment”, with the expected participation of 1.5 million people for six days, which could lead to revenue “from 200 to 300 million euros”.
Last Thursday, the Lisbon City Council approved the conclusion of a medium and long-term loan, amounting to EUR 15.3 million, to finance WYD investments.
In a closed meeting of the city council, the proposal to take a loan to finance works related to the preparation of the WYD was made possible by the 17 elected, with one vote against BE, nine abstentions – four from the PS , two from the PCP, two from Cidadãos Por Lisboa (elected by the PS/Livre coalition) and one from Livre — and seven votes for the “Novos Tempos” coalition (PSD/CDS-PP/MPT/PPM/Aliança ).
World Youth Day is the largest gathering of young Catholics from around the world with the Pope, taking place every two or three years between July and August.
Lisbon was the city chosen in 2019 to host the 2022 meeting, which was moved to 2023 due to the covid-19 pandemic.
Source: DN
