“This is not a request, it is an imperative need for the country. The state will only be closer to the people if municipalities have the means to fully represent it,” emphasized Luísa Salgueiro.
At the opening session of the XXVII Congress of the ANMP, taking place this weekend in Viana do Castelo, the still leader of the ANMP insisted that the issue of local financing is not a corporate demand, but rather a condition for the country’s development.
“The current Local Finance Law no longer responds to the context we live in. Municipalities have assumed new responsibilities, investments, and responsibilities—often with insufficient resources,” she argued.
The president of Matosinhos City Council reaffirmed the urgency of approving a new Local Finance Law that “will take effect in the 2027 State Budget,” “since it will not in 2026,” as the Government had initially foreseen.
“We support a new Local Finance Law that converges with the Eurozone average in terms of resources; corrects territorial asymmetries; strengthens the FEF [Financial Equilibrium Fund] and the FFD [Decentralization Financing Fund],” she stated.
Municipalities also seek to increase their share in Personal Income Tax (IRS) and Value Added Tax (IVA); allocate revenues from the Municipal Property Tax (IMI), Single Circulation Tax (IUC), Petroleum and Energy Products Tax (ISP), and Environmental Fund to municipalities; and ensure stability, transparency, and simplification of processes.
Luísa Salgueiro also reminded that during her term (2021-2025), there were several ANMP initiatives advocating for a new Local Finance Law.
“We presented a well-founded proposal to the Government and suggested the creation of a Working Group that was even announced, but the fact is that neither the Working Group nor the new Local Finance Law have yet materialized,” she noted.
Throughout her speech, Salgueiro addressed what she considers the complex but essential path to decentralization, warning that this process will only succeed with adequate human, financial, and asset means.
In education, she demanded the acceleration of the renovation of 526 priority schools and the inclusion of priority 3 schools as well as additional schools.
In health, she emphasized the importance of mapping facilities, rehabilitating health centers, and establishing staff and vehicle ratios.
In social action, she highlighted progress in standardizing criteria and strengthening municipal technicians.
