Former Housing Minister Marina Gonçalves today criticized the end of restrictions on the use of housing for tourist purposes, accusing the Government of taking measures without any study, just for “an ideological position”.
“What we are witnessing is a purely ideological position in decision-making, without objective data”said the former minister of António Costa, referring to the PSD Government’s decision to end the “penalizing measures” on local accommodation, which had been imposed by the previous Government.
Marina Gonçalves was speaking during a conversation about “The city at the service of all”, at the political ‘rentrée’ of Livre, in Aveiro.
The current PS deputy speaks of a “setback” in the objective of increasing the housing supply in Portugal, stating that the Government revoked “measures that were having some effect on the market, without any study, without any evaluation”.
Marina Gonçalves believes that the country is in “complete contradiction” with what “is being done in Europe”, foreseeing that this decision could have an impact on the increase in the cost of housing and the reduction in supply.
The former minister also said that there is no question of “the destruction of investment, economic development, or tourist activities” to the detriment of housing, stating that a balance must be found between these two needs.
“It seems that we are invading the sphere of private property and the freedom of each person, of their business, but this is not what is on the table. It is a discussion about what fundamental good we are protecting”he observed.
In the medium and long term, the socialist deputy said she hopes that the measures announced by Luís Montenegro’s government will be implemented, adding that partnerships with private companies “will not be the solution in themselves”.
The diploma that revoked the extraordinary contribution on local accommodation and the setting of the coefficient of agingthese properties, and introduces IRS measures to facilitate geographic mobility, came into force last week, taking effect on December 31, 2023.
Source: www.jornaldenegocios.pt
