“The question we are asked is whether it is a cost or an investment. I have no doubt that it is an investment,” stated Pinto Luz at the conference “Public Transport: Cost or Investment – The Benefits of Public Transport Under Discussion,” organized by Transportes Metropolitanos de Lisboa (TML) at the Centro Cultural de Belém (CCB) in Lisbon.
However, Pinto Luz cautioned that if poorly applied, this investment could become a cost.
“If we think strategically, it will naturally always be an investment, an investment in our future, an investment in our planet […] many times this investment is mismanaged and becomes a cost,” stated the official.
The minister, who is set to take office today at 18:00, also expressed a desire for fair territory, using the term “territorial justice” instead of territorial cohesion, asserting that he does not aim for the homogenization of the territory.
“Cohesion leads us to homogenize the territory, which is not what we want. We are different, the territories are different, the cities are different, the regions are different,” Pinto Luz remarked.
The official further indicated that it is more interesting for each region to “develop its strategic models,” which would make “the country more cohesive.”
“Therefore, social justice is much more interesting in terms of conceptual density because we have environmental justice, social justice, territorial justice, human justice, economic justice, and in each of these dimensions, in each region, we can develop strategic models that make the country more cohesive,” he said.
The second government led by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro will consist of 16 ministries, one less than the previous, retaining thirteen of the 17 ministers from the outgoing administration.
The inauguration of the XXV Constitutional Government is scheduled for today at 18:00, 18 days after the elections, marking the fastest government formation process in the presidential terms of Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
