Tourist Tax revenue should be spread across the Algarve

The Algarve's hotels association, beachBarImageAHETA, proposes that 'Tourist Tax' revenues should be spread across the region in partnership with the private sector.

AHETA represents the business interests of hotels and tourism businesses in the Algarve and is fully against the new tax that some Councils are intent on introducing, stating often that it is "unjust and inappropriate."

Spain's Almaraz nuclear plant to close

nuclearThe Almaraz nuclear plant, 100 or so kilometres upriver from the Portuguese border near Portalegre, finally has a definitive closing date of 2028, reports news service, Cinco Días.

The Spanish plant, located 320 kilometres from Lisbon and 160 kilometres from Portalegre, has two nuclear reactors, the first of which will be dismantled in 2027, the second in 2028.

Loulé Council moves to suspend a wave of coastal construction

seasLoulé Council has taken action to prevent a project by a real estate fund to transform the campsite of Quarteira into a 499 room tourist development - also to halt further property incursions along the Council's coastline.

The municipality has used ‘climate change’ and the predicted rise in sea levels to justify the suspension of its Municipal Master Plan (PDM) and is establishing preventive measures to halt further property developments.

Portugal 2020 allocated €26 billion in EU funds

euPortugal has received €7.5 billion from the European Union since the start of the Portugal 2020 programme in 2015, second only to Poland, according to the last European Union Funds Information Bulletin, carrying information to the end of 2018.

In total, the European Commission has transferred a total of €101.8 billion to the 28 Member States, 7.3% of which has been sent to Portugal.

'Scrap the Tolls' vote quashed by Socialist MPs

tollsThe proposal to scrap the tolls on the Algarve’s Via do Infante motorway has been rejected by MPs in a vote last Friday.

This is the ninth time this subject has come up for debate and the ninth time it has been rejected by Socialist Party MPs, despite the abolition of tolls being a pre-election promise by António Costa before he became the prime minister.

'Law exists' to nationalise Portugal's Post Offices

cttcounterThe Communist Party and Left Bloc want to nationalise Portugal’s Post Office, CTT, the future of which is to be debated on February 20th in a key parliamentary debate.

The nationalisation of CTT means triggering an existing law that can be used to take control of the business ‘in the national interest.’

Drone owner fined €3,900 for Lisbon flight disruption

airplaneThe owner of a drone that caused the diversion of aircraft from Lisbon airport has been fined €3,900.

The incident occurred on August 20, 2018 and "led to a shutdown of the operation for eight minutes due to the closure of air traffic."

Three-hotel development in Alvor on 46 hectares

construction2Two Portuguese property development companies and a Spanish hospitality company have announced a project to construct three hotels with a total of 411 rooms in the parish of Alvor, Portimão.

One of the entrepreneurs connected to the project is Miguel Pais do Amaral, through Top Building, which is fronting the deal.