The president of the Madeira executive, a PSD/CDS-PP coalition, addressed journalists upon his arrival at Madeira Airport regarding a meeting with the prime minister in Lisbon. He also participated in a session of the Superior Council of National Defense.
Miguel Albuquerque stated that the meeting with Montenegro lasted about an hour and “went very well,” highlighting that the topics discussed were already known to the prime minister and were on his agenda, though “some are stalled due to bureaucratic aspects.”
The head of Madeira’s executive assured that “the prime minister took notes on the dossiers,” adding that during the PSD/Madeira party’s event at Chão da Lagoa, there should be “a set of decisions already made or to be made by the Government to announce.”
Albuquerque mentioned that the Council of Ministers’ resolution needed for the Madeira Government to launch the third phase of constructing the new Central and University Hospital of Madeira “is ready” and should be approved soon.
In today’s meeting, the Madeiran official also emphasized the need to address, pending a review of the Regional Finance Law, “the scandal of Madeira receiving no national cohesion fund next year” due to its “economic success.”
Regarding the second aerial fire-fighting resource, initially expected to operate in Madeira from July 1, Albuquerque noted he asked Montenegro “to intervene personally and politically,” attributing the delay to the early legislative elections held in May.
The launch of the tender for a ferry between the region and the mainland will also be initiated by the Republic’s Government, Albuquerque assured, without providing further details.
Topics such as the return of VAT to Social Solidarity Institutions investing under the Recovery and Resilience Plan, the extension of the Madeira Free Zone regime, and the additional costs with health subsystems for GNR, PSP, and Armed Forces professionals, which are being borne by the region, were also discussed.
Miguel Albuquerque also indicated that the working group to determine the outstanding amount to Madeira related to these additional costs, amounting to “over 67 million euros,” will be resumed.
“The issues are pending, they are eminently political issues, some of them are stalled by the usual Byzantine bureaucracy, but the prime minister took good note of the issues, which are fundamental for solving the problems of Madeirans,” he stressed.
