The president of the republic this Friday expressed his pleasure at the possibility of reducing public costs to “much less than half” with the World Youth Day (WYD) stages in Parque Tejo and Parque Eduardo VII.
“It was good. That means, instead of seven million [valor aproximado da soma dos dois palcos]goes to two and 900. I think it was worth the media and a lot of people, [aquilo que] Portuguese society did, as a call, and in these difficult times of war, inflation”Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa replied to journalists, when asked about the reduction of the value of the podium altar in Parque Tejo, responsible for the Chamber of Lisbon, to 2.9 million and about the transfer of the podium from Parque Eduardo VII to the responsibility of the Catholic Church.
The head of state added that “with the rise in prices and the difficulties of life, it was in fact necessary to reduce the cost of these stages of the journey, which takes place between August 1 and August 6”.
“I am pleased with the effort everyone has made to reduce it to much less than half”he concluded, in Celorico da Beira, in the Guarda district.
A press conference is scheduled for this Friday at 12:30 p.m. in the Chamber of Lisbon, with the mayor of the municipality, Carlos Moedas, and the president of the JMJ Lisboa 2023 Foundation, Américo Aguiar.
The WYD costs were in the spotlight after it was announced that the construction of the altar stage in the main event space, Parque Tejo, was awarded by the Municipality of Lisbon (in a direct agreement) to Mota-Engil for 4.24 million euros (excl. VAT), an additional 1.06 million euros will be added for the indirect roof foundations.
The needs of the event, the characteristics of the terrain and the economic return – this stage, nine meters high and with a capacity of 2,000 people, will remain standing – have been put forward as arguments for the investment.
In Parque Eduardo VII (where the opening mass, the reception of Pope Francis and the Stations of the Cross are planned) there will be another podium, estimated to have cost up to two million euros, which will be removed at the end of the year. day.
In January, the municipality announced that this stage would be the target of an international competition.
Source: DN
