Portugal's hoteliers and restaurateurs to spearhead plastics reduction campaign

plasticatseaPortugal’s hoteliers association, AHRESP, has launched its 'Less Plastic, More Environment’ campaign with the support of the Environmental Fund of the Ministry of the Environment.
 
The objective is clear, to reduce the use of plastic items in the national catering and hospitality sectors to reduce the current environmental impact, especially at sea.

Pestana bids to extend Pousadas de Portugal contract to 2023

pousadaThe Pestana Group has presented a plan to Enatur, the State overseer of Pousadas de Portugal, to extend its management contract from 2023 to 2028.
 
Luís Castanheira Lopes, president of Pousadas de Portugal, said that under the contract with Enatur, the company is entitled to request an extension.

GNR foils cigarette smugglers and the 'funeral burglary' gang

gnrA regular traffic inspection exercise on the Portuguese side of the Guadiana International Bridge resulted in GNR officers seizing 46,000 cigarettes that were being imported illegally.
 
The stop and search activity last Saturday aimed to check paperwork on goods being shipped into Portugal and to see if any unlicensed vehicles were transporting paying passengers.

Faro councillors irate at new recycling bin locations

farocamaraFaro Council, quite rightly, has the huff with the waste collection service from Algar whose new ecopoints are placed in such a way as to 'disrespect mobility,' as well as being the old-fashioned type, hadly in keeping with the regional capital's desired image.
  
The Council has sent a stern letter to Algar about the stupidity of placing recycling bins on pavements that normally are used by people to walk along, adding that the bins are the old type and hardly in keeping with the image of the regional capital which is spending much time and money on upgrading its urban image.

Hero firefighter qualifies for €267-a-month disability payment

fireforestRui Rosinha was serious burnt when fighting last summer’s fire in Castanheira de Pera, Leiria and so far has been in surgery 14 times to repair the injuries to his body.
 
The fireman spent six months in hospital after he was 85% incapacitated after fighting the June 2017 blaze in which 60 people died.

Finnish pensioners in Portugal lose tax free status

fozAlmargemFinland has torn up its tax treaty with Portugal, stripping expatriate Finnish pensioners of their tax free status.
 
The tax agreement prevented a Finnish citizen from being taxed twice on the same income but ran into trouble when Finland realised its pensioners living in Portugal were not being taxed at all.

Anti-oil battle - Faro Council urges government to "listen to the people"

farocamaraFaro Council has demanded that the government immediately suspends all oil and gas exploration off the Algarve coast.
 
Joining a chorus of protest from across the region and nationally, Faro Council also states that it is totally unacceptable to carry on drilling without first commissioning an Environmental Impact Assessment.

Olhão's old market area to become 'modern and multipurpose'

olhaomarketOlhão’s western approach is to be remodelled to turn it from a “hitherto, little cared for zone, into a green and pleasant leisure area with gardens, urban beaches, commercial spaces and a new hotel.”

The kennels and council yard will be relocated to make way for the mayor’s €3 million building plan which will start in the first quarter of 2019.