Lisbon, June 21, 2024 (Lusa) - The Portuguese parliament on Friday approved, by a majority, recommendations from the PSD and PAN to set up a working group to review the social mobility allowance in force in the autonomous regions of Madeira and the Azores.
The draft resolutions (which do not have the force of law) will now be sent to the 6th parliamentary committee for debate.
Draft resolution no. 65/XVI/1st, tabled by the Social Democrats, received favourable votes from PSD, EIS, IL, PAN, BE, Livre and CDS-PP, while Chega and PCP abstained.
The document presented by the PAN (no. 156/XVI/1.ª) was approved with the favourable votes of the BE, Livre, PS and PAN. The PCP, EIS and Chega abstained, while the PSD and CDS-PP voted against.
The plenary also voted on Bill 185/XVI/1st, by the Bloc, aimed at simplifying and preventing possible fraud in the granting of the social mobility allowance. The bill was rejected with PS, PS, IL and CDS voting against it, despite BE, PCP, Livre and PAN voting in favour, and Chega abstaining.
On 28 May, the government announced that it intends to review the current social mobility subsidy model for the autonomous regions, which has led to various frauds, pledging to present a solution by 15 September.
The announcement was made by the minister for housing and infrastructures, Miguel Pinto Luz, who was heard in parliament by the Committee on Economy, Public Works, Planning and Housing, at the request of the PS.
"A working group will be set up to analyse and review the subsidy model, always within the principles of social justice that led to its creation," he said.
On 11 June, the parliament of the Azores approved a preliminary bill by Chega to simplify the social mobility subsidy, so that passengers only pay the amount set by law when they buy a ticket.
The initiative, which was the subject of amendment proposals from the PSD and CDS-PP, was approved in a final overall vote in the plenary session of the Legislative Assembly in Horta, with votes in favour from the PSD (23), CDS-PP (two) and Chega (five), and abstentions from the PS (22) and the single MEPs from BE, PAN and IL.
Chega's preliminary bill advocates "simplifying and reducing the bureaucracy" of the mobility allowance, maintaining the maximum amount of €134 for journeys between the Azores and the mainland (round trip) and €119 between the autonomous regions.
In the Azores, the social mobility allowance allows residents of the archipelago to travel to the mainland with a maximum airfare of €134. However, it is necessary to initially purchase the ticket at the selling price and only once the journey has taken place is the entire amount above this target of €134 reimbursed by the state.
For Azorean students, the ceiling is €99, i.e. the subsidy corresponds to the difference between the cost of the ticket and the maximum of €99 per return journey.
In Madeira, the price for residents has been set at €86 for return journeys to the mainland and €119 for the Azores, which can increase if the journey exceeds the maximum ceiling of €400. For students, the price is €65.
Most Madeiran residents have to pay the airlines for their trip at the time of purchase and can only be reimbursed at the end, so that they are only charged the fixed price. Students have the option of paying only the €65 at the time of purchase if they do so through a travel agency.
JME/AYLS // AYLS
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