Currently, the government is paying municipalities about half the price for meals that companies charge for the next school year. The municipalities have difficulties in hiring supplies for the next school year and there are public tenders without any candidates, advances the Jornal de Notícias in this Wednesday’s edition.
Until now, and which has been included in the General State Budgets for 2022, the State pays approximately 1.40 euros for each meal to the municipalities, but the amount that the companies that supply meals to school canteens is above three euros per unit. The companies justify the increase in the price of food with “increase in the price of fuel, food and the minimum wage.”
According to JN, the issue of the amounts transferred to the municipalities for the payment of food will be discussed at the end of this week in the technical commission that accompanies the decentralization process. The mayor of Boticas, Fernando Queiroga, told JN that there are municipalities “that are buying food for three euros” and that the National Association of Municipalities (ANMP) “is very disappointed by [o valor da comparticipação] not having been corrected in the General State Budgets”.
“It is one more addition to the fire of decentralization,” he points out at a time when several municipalities are considering leaving the ANMP, pointing out flaws in the decentralization process.
Source: Observadora
