On Friday, the PCP urged the government to “cancel and close” the privatization process of TAP, stressing that the airline is making profits, is one of the largest national exporters and is strategic for the country.
This recommendation to the Government is contained in a draft resolution, a recommendation without the force of law, which was presented this Friday to journalists in the Assembly of the Republic by PCP deputy António Filipe.
The deputy stressed that TAP remains Today, “in public hands, One of the largest national exporters, with an invaluable contribution to the national economy“, in addition to having an “irreplaceable role as flag carrier to guarantee the connection service with the autonomous communities” and with the “Portuguese communities that exist in the world”.
“It is a company that is making profits and therefore there is no reason for the privatization of this company”António Filipe defended the initiative, adding that with this initiative the PCP intends to stop the privatisation process and “allow TAP to operate”.
“If we want to summarise in a few words what is intended, I would say that it is: leave the tap alone“, he summarized.
In the draft resolution, Therefore, the PCP asks the Government to “cancel and close the TAP privatization processwhich has only contributed to destabilizing the company, the sector and the country.”
The party also wants the government to “end restrictions on the management of TAP, i.e. on the contracting of the work necessary for its operation” as well as “on the growth of the fleet when necessary.”
The PCP also calls on the executive to “provide TAP with a set of clear strategic guidelines (as opposed to the only essentially current guidance, that of ‘preparing for privatisation’), which include meeting national strategic needs and corresponding support to the public in meeting these needs.”
As for the new Lisbon airport, the party calls on the Government to speed up its construction in phases, highlighting that it is a place “where TAP can grow, significantly reduce costs and operational limitations, improve its maintenance and engineering, improve and optimize its base and hub.”
Speaking to reporters in parliament, António Filipe said that TAP cannot be “degraded and harmed by political decisions that do not contribute in any way to the development of the company, nor to the national economy, nor to the defence of national interests.”
The PCP deputy also referred to the recent report by the General Inspection of Finance (IGF) on the privatisation of TAP in 2015, considering that it shows that the airline “would not exist today if the State had not taken charge of the maintenance of the company” and that the company “was bought with money from TAP itself” in 2015.
Asked about the doubts that the PSD has raised about the report in question, António Filipe replied: “The PSD is very distrustful of independent entities when they assume their independence.”
“This is what happened with the Court of Auditors with the report on ANA Aeroportos, and now it distrusts the IGF when it took the position of carefully and independently studying how the TAP privatization process was carried out,” he said.
António Filipe added that the data contained in the IGF report had already been verified, in essence, by the TAP investigative commission, considering that, “rather than distrusting independent entities, the important thing was for the PSD to clarify the irrefutable facts contained in the IGF report. him.”
“And they effectively demonstrate how the PSD in government harmed national interests by carrying out the process of privatization of TAP,” he said.
Source: Observadora
