The Algarve branch of the Social Democrat Party has met to discuss the government’s proposed 2019 State Budget and is not impressed, claiming the region "is becoming indistinguishable from the Sahara."
"The 2019 Budget ignores the fundamental needs of the Algarve, which translates into a flagrant violation of commitments, with the Algarve having being left out of the Government's planning for the last four years".
Although public investment is forecast to rise ‘to the national level,’ for the Algarve, the regional PSD says, "this is almost non-existent."
For example the regional investments listed in the 2019 Budget, allocate €8.8 million for the Algarve, just 0.2% of the national investment expenditure which is 90 times less than the North of Portugal region.
For healthcare, the PSD claims, "the results are worse every year,” and there is no provision for increased medical staff.
As for the roads, “the eastern EN125 upgrade will not be a reality in 2019," and the roadworks budget to 2021 is only €4,2 million, “lower than for any other district."
As for the Algarve’s decrepit railway, the PSD Algarve spotted that, despite the government announcement for works on the country's main railway corridors, close to €1 billion in 2019, "the electrification of the Algarve Line again is delayed with the connection to the airport not planned for the forseable future."
The number of cancelled and late trains is at an all time high, leading to fewer alternatives for mobility, states the PSD.
Regarding tolls on Via do Infante, a scheme authorised under a PSD government, "the Socialist Party spoke of an immediate 50% reduction in tolls, the Left Bloc and the Communists want abolition. Four years later, the tolls reduced by 15%.
The government is going for a record beating budget next year, an election year in which it hopes to be voted back in to power due to the PM's abilities with financial juggling, debt and public relations.
The Algarve region provides the State with billions in tax revenue from the tourism sector, for which the region accounts for 40 to 50% of total tourism receipts in the country and 5% of GDP.
The lack of investment in a region viewed by Lisbon as a profitable curiosity, is painful yet this is what government's have to do, take from the better off and give to the poor, despite the Algarve region's poverty, social exclusion, hunger and illness among a significant number of the region's 450,000 inhabitants.
The mistake by the government is to leave the Algarve unable best to take advantage of its natural place as the country's top resort area, with many poor roads, an expensive toll system on its one motorway, no rail link to the airport, no rail service to speak of and an understaffed and underfunded State health service.
