The president of the National Association of Parishes (Anafre) regretted this Wednesday, in Parliament, that there are still town councils that refuse to transfer powers to the parishes, considering the funds from the State Budget for 2025 insufficient.
“We note with some sadness and perplexity that there are municipalities that still do not want to comply with law 50/2018, and are not sanctioned for doing so”stated Jorge Veloso (PS), in relation to the refusal of the municipalities to transfer powers to the parishes.
The Anafre leader spoke at a hearing in the Assembly of the Republic, with the Budget, Finance and Public Administration commissions, and Agriculture and Fisheries, in the specialized evaluation of the State Budget proposal for 2025 (OE2025).
According to Jorge Veloso, until October, 174 municipalities transferred powers to 1,752 parishes, with an annual transfer value of 161,585 million eurosBut there are city councils that do not want to do it because they understand that “the parishes do not have the competence” to carry out this work.
For the mayor, it is “time for this matter, once and for all, to continue on its path and reach its final phase.”
Although the OE2025 proposal verifies compliance with the Local Finance Law and “the improvement of the conditions of part-time mayors,” Veloso explained that, mainly because the majority of Anafre’s proposals “have not been considered”, the association decided to give an unfavorable opinion to the document.
The OE2025 proposal, presented by the Government of Luís Montenegro, allocates the global amount of 396,604,751 euros through the Parish Financing Fund (FFF), establishing a minimum nominal growth of 5% with respect to the value registered for this year.
Despite the additional 47.1 million euros compared to the previous year, the leader of the association still considered them “less than in previous years” and an amount “manifestly insufficient” for the parishes to be able to meet their obligations.
For this reason, Anafre proposes increasing the FFF gradually “until a 5% increase is reached.”
The president of São Martinho do Bispo and Ribeira de Frades (Coimbra) also highlighted that the increase of 2.5 million euros for businesses and citizen spaces, up to 8.5 million euros, does not translate into more funds for the parishes, who have “minimal support.” in the training of workers” and, therefore, demands “adequate financial compensation for the service provided” by these authorities.
The parishes also demand access to credit to finance projects, that the contracted loans be settled during the mandate and not in the year itself, and the creation of a specific program for the integration of workers with precarious employment.
The social democratic deputy Dulcineia Moura highlighted that the Government “complies with the law” in its OE2025 proposal, although she recognizes that there is “a gap with the Anafre proposal” and continues the need for “growth” of transfers and “review of the Local Finance Law”.
The socialist Carlos Brás understands the opinion “unfavorable to this EO”, since the parishes point out “an enormous lack of human resources” and the impacts that the salary updates had “on the budgets of local authorities.”
For Francisco Gomes, from Chega, the executive “wants to finance decentralization at the expense of those who should help the most” and the amount for the parishes “is small” and he affirms that this “is a stingy government,” which puts local authorities “with hand extended” and “continues to treat the presidents of the boards of directors as errand boys of the central power.”
Mariana Leitão, from the Liberal Initiative, questioned whether Anafre carried out any study on its proposal to triple participation in the urban IMI, that is, whether it will “increase the IMI for taxpayers” and the impact of the decomposition of the parishes.
Alfredo Maia affirmed that the PCP supports the “just intention” for parishes to access credit and that the party has a proposal for “an additional allocation” for parishes that will be reestablished within the framework of the ongoing desegregation.
For Filipa Pinto, from Livre, the increase for the parishes “is insufficient”, even compared to the previous budget, and stated that the party “is committed to promoting policies that strengthen territorial and social cohesion.”
Deputy João Almeida (CDS-PP) maintained that, regarding the transfer of powers between municipalities, there cannot be “completely asymmetric situations, often one next to the other”, and a “difference in the treatment of citizens in depending on the will of the municipality”. or the mayor’s interpretation.”
The vice president of the Anafre board of directors, Jorge Amador (CDU), pointed out that the association is waiting to be heard in the parish desegregation process, before its scheduled conclusion in January, and that the OE2025 proposal ignores the 96% of the proposals presented, but the “opinion may change” in the event of “positive conclusions” in the responses to the complaints.
Source: Observadora
