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Polis winding-up decision postponed as Ria Formosa islanders mount further protests

culatraOlhão’s mayor, the socialist António Pina, has asked the new Minister of the Environment, John Matos Fernandes, “to listen to the mayors.”

Pina was talking about the Ria Formosa island demolition programme perpetuated by Polis and hopes that some good sense can now be brought to bear and local views taken into account.

Portugal's cheap pork - blame it on the Russians

blackpigPortugal’s protesting pig farmers blocked one of the country’s largest processing units yesterday morning as prices continue to fall across the sector.

Pork has seldom been cheaper in Portugal’s supermarkets and the protest outside the Santarém plant that supplies Sonae’s Continente retail chain was born of fears for the 200,000 Portuguese jobs that rely on the pig trade.

Lisbon's tourist tax 'too complicated' at airport and cruise terminal

lisbonmapLisbon council has discovered the inherent difficulties in applying and collecting its much criticised ‘tourist tax.’

The council today admitted that it was imposing its per night fee at hotels and registered Alojamento Local facilities as from January 1st, 2016 but that the collection of a fee from those arriving in the capital by cruise ship or air, is delayed.

Bank of Portugal's governor is not up to the job

bopcarloscostaAt last someone in charge has spotted that the Bank of Portugal remains ill-equipped in its role as regulator of Portugal’s financial system, especially when it comes to banking oversight.

Prime Minister António Costa acknowledged today that the current governance system shows deficiencies at the Bank of Portugal.

Positive ending for eurozone business year

euEurozone businesses are on course to end the year in positive mode

Growth picked up markedly in the final quarter, making it the strongest quarter for nearly five years, according to the respected Markit survey.

Portugal’s fisheries minister - "new quotas are a good result"

trawlerThe Minister of the Sea, Ana Paula Vitorino, has said she is very satisfied with the 2016 fishing quota agreement reached in Brussels and considering it 'a good result for Portugal' taking into account the original cuts proposed.

Vitorino achieved an overall increase of 11.4% in its 2016 quota for national waters.

Germany welcomes more babies

babyMore babies were born in Germany in 2014 than in any of the last 25 years.

Women there gave birth to an average of 1.47 children, the highest rate since reunification in 1990 where there was a mini baby boom, according to the Federal Office for Statistics.

Taxpayers shoulder Banif risk but depositors are 'safe'

banifPrime Minister António Costa today assured Banif account holders that their funds are safe. This has not stopped thousands of clients withdrawing their cash amid fears that the bank is on the point of collapse.

Costa was not so comforting to those with shares in the troubled lender, the taxpayer being the major shareholder with 60.5% of Banif’s stock, as any rescue after Jan 1st 2016 might involve losses for shareholders and certain classes of depositors.