The Association of Professionals and Real Estate Companies of Portugal (APEMIP) has called on the government to carry out an urgent audit of the estimated 1,900 Golden Visas issued to date.
The request comes in the wake of suspicions of corruption in the allocation of Golden Visas that has led to the arrest 11 people, including the president of the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF), and the resignation of the Minister of Internal Affairs, Miguel Macedo.
"The Government should do an audit of all the Golden Visas that have already been issued. It needs to determine if everything is correct with the money that came in Portugal, where it came from and whether or not it actually knows who the people are who bought houses and invested here," said the President APEMIP, Luis Lima.
The estate agents association boss also said he is available to assist in this work which he considers essential if the sector is no longer to remain under suspicion, as is happening now, even though the suspicions of corruption has not fallen on estate agencies.
For Lima, an audit is important so as to ensure confidence in the programme, "Although the Golden Visas are not a major part of the total invested by foreigners in real estate, without an audit we will have a relapse in confidence that could be worse than the disease itself."
So far some €2 billion has been invested by foreigners in real estate this year, with just €700 million invested in return for a Golden Visa.
Comments
Until China formally applies to be the 29th (?) country in the EU - and its application is discussed by all member states - it is clearly wrong for Portugal to be a quasi-satellite / proxy of China.
Only 230 jobs have come out of the Golden Visa programme ... on TV showing just one large textile sewing place. Not what we were led to believe.
It is also laughable for the Portuguese to be claiming they are screening the Chinese coming into the EU.
As Portugal is so often doing the opposite of what the EU requires it to do - this clearly means them turning away 'honest, legal, decent Chinese' or .... as with north European potential investors in the Portuguese SME sector ... subjecting them to endless obstruction, deception and cost over runs until they realise they are not wanted and go home.
Selling on their half completed project as 'ready for (say) tourism licensing; or that absolute howler ... tourism licensing applied for !!
So perpetuating this anti EU obstruction to growth nonsense !!