“I am very surprised to hear the [Minister of Economy and Territorial Cohesion] telling parliamentarians that there are no issues with the deadlines, because companies sign contracts with the Banco Português de Fomento (BPF) and deadlines are no longer a problem,” said José Bourdain to Lusa.
On Tuesday, the Minister of Economy and Territorial Cohesion, Manuel Castro Almeida, dismissed in parliament claims that Portugal was delayed in implementing the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) and expressed confidence that the country would fully execute the grants from the European stimulus package.
The president of the National Association of Continuing Care (ANCC) questioned why private and non-profit entities with PRR contracts cannot sign contracts with the BPF, stating that the “order was to terminate.”
“The Government itself says that over 800 beds have already been terminated. I would even say that the numbers are not accurate because the Government is withholding information, and I challenge the Government to provide the real numbers,” said José Bourdain, citing the institution he leads: “There are 173 vacancies in continuing care whose contract has not been terminated precisely because I am waiting for a response from the Government that I still do not have.”
According to the president of the ANCC, the Government should be “more honest and transparent and provide the appropriate information.”
“Like my institution, there are many, and therefore I predict—according to my calculations—that it is more than half of the PRR’s beds and more than half of the funds, which means it exceeds 100 million euros,” he highlighted.
José Bourdain had already warned last week about the waste of funds due to “enormous delays.”
“For over a year, I have been insisting with the Government regarding the execution deadlines of the PRR. I even sent a letter to the [then] Minister of Territorial Cohesion, who is now the Minister of Economy, sent letters to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Health, and have never received a response,” he commented.
The president of the ANCC recalled that the Government “keeps the prices of continuing care frozen” and, when updated, “does not compensate for the increase in costs,” accusing the executive of adopting “a high-handed, arrogant, dictatorial posture.”
“The units cannot sustain themselves financially and close their doors,” he emphasized.
The leader added that he has already contacted the Ministry of Health and parliamentary groups within the scope of the discussion of the State Budget for 2026 and the PRR, but still without “responses from anyone.”
