© PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP) (Photo by PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP via Getty Images
“We respected what was provided for in the budget law; we had the creation of this fund in the legislative process. The Government, however, was prevented from taking this legislative process to the end. It won’t take much longer, it’s a matter of a few weeks,” stated the head of the executive.
Luís Montenegro was responding to Livre spokesperson Rui Tavares during the debate on the program of the XXV Constitutional Government, taking place until Tuesday at the Assembly of the Republic.
The issue concerns the creation of an Emergency Housing Fund, a proposal from Livre included in the 2024 State Budget, with funds sourced from 25% of the Stamp Duty collected from real estate transactions. The measure was approved during the budget discussion of that year but was not regulated to come into effect.
Luís Montenegro argued that he has “no interest in wasting a financial tool that is available to assist in housing policies.”
During this intervention, Livre spokesperson Rui Tavares challenged the head of the executive, warning that it is necessary to “strongly regulate and limit” the exposure of consumers, especially younger citizens, to online gambling advertising.
“Nowadays, online gambling is not just any other business area, and the Prime Minister knows it very well because he has seen it up close; it leads families to bankruptcy, people to financial ruin and addiction; it is a severe public health issue reported by the Economic and Social Committee and currently creating addictions among minors,” he warned.
In response, Luís Montenegro said he sees “no inconvenience” in parliament evaluating laws related to advertising prohibitions “and the use of tools that may lead to addictive behaviors, particularly among more sensitive individuals.”
“I think it’s very appropriate that regarding this phenomenon, which is relatively recent in online gaming, such an evaluation is carried out. All governments have done it; we will do it too, parliament can and should do it. I see no inconvenience in these rules being revisited, also improved, but it doesn’t mean they cannot be even more restrictive to protect the legal assets that must be safeguarded,” stated the Prime Minister.
