A team of experts chosen by IBM has arrived in Faro to study the city and recommend improvements to the surrounding maritime economy and to the quality of life for those living and working in the Algarve’s capital.
The study of the existing infrastructure in Faro will take place over the next three weeks.
Portugal issued more bonds today on the international market, raising €3 billion maturing in 2014. According to Reuters the demand saw an oversubscription to €9.5 billion.
The yield of this issue is currently at 4.98%, according to Bloomberg, having reached a maximum of 5.02% during the morning.
A new strategic plan for the Alentejo coast is being prepared by the Regional Tourism Authority, in partnership with local councils, to promote the 150 kilometres of coastline.
"We have an Atlantic coast that has huge potential from the tourism point of view and this needs to be thought out and structured, which has never happened before," according to the president of the Regional Tourism body for the Alentejo, António Ceia da Silva who said that a structure needs to be put in place to enable the promotion of a ‘sun and sea’ strategy.
In January 2014 Portugal’s government instructed the advisors who are looking at privatisation scenarios for national airline TAP to look again at a stock market listing for the profitable company.
Ministers want to look at all possibilities before making a long-overdue final decision on the sale of the company and requested a financial update on the value of the company based on its good 2013 trading results.
Miguel Freitas was on top form as he submitted questions in Parliament to the Health Minister over the state of the Algarve’s healthcare service, particularly its management.
He wondered if the Minister of Health “considers the position of AMAL (the Algarve mayors’ association) as irrelevant, will the inspection requested by the Portuguese Medical Council go ahead and, more importantly, does he remain confident in the Council of administration for the Hospitals of the Algarve? "
The University of Algarve is in danger of the "total stoppage of its activities before the end of the year" if there is no increase in funding from the 2014 State Budget according to the University Dean.
The new University chief, António Branco said he had met with the administrator of the University of Algarve (UAlg) to learn in detail of its financial state.
For six months now the law in Portugal has required that before licensing, obligatory training of dangerous dogs is carried out by certified coaches.
This was one of the new areas of legislation to control dangerous or potentially dangerous dogs introduced last year. Obligatory training had to be carried out by someone registered with the General Directorate for Food and Veterinary Services (DGAV).
Brittany Ferries is to provide a new lost-cost service from 25 March.
The “économie” service will operate on weekends between Portsmouth and Santander. There will also be four return passenger crossings between Portsmouth and Le Havre.
