The PS-Madeira has criticised in a statement the proposal for the Regional Budget for 2026, presented by the Regional Secretary of Finance, for cuts in areas such as health and housing, considered priorities of the Government Programme approved in May.
According to the socialists, the document indicates a 50 million euro cut for SESARAM, which deputy Victor Freitas says means fewer resources in a sector already facing long waiting lists, missed maximum response times, serious issues, medicine shortages, and an average life expectancy two years lower than that of mainland citizens.
Housing, he said, will lose more than 60 million euros, whose budget decreases from 152 million euros (2025), to 89.5 million euros next year. This reduction, he says, lies in the fact that there are fewer funds available from the Recovery and Resilience Programme (PRR).
Victor Freitas also regrets that “the Regional Government has not truly taken on the fight against the housing crisis, as was proposed by the PS. If that were the case, it would use for this purpose the funds that are being returned to the regional coffers resulting from the illegal support granted to companies in the Madeira Free Trade Zone, amounts that, in 2024, amounted to 66 million euros and, this year, until June, they have already reached 77 million euros.”
In his opinion, there are around 143 million euros that should be invested in public housing, but “unfortunately, the Government disinvests in this matter, which is crucial for young couples and the middle class.”
The socialist deputy also adds that taxes still have and will have a greater impact on the day-to-day lives of Madeirans, such as VAT, where Madeira continues to pay 30% more than the Azoreans in the intermediate and normal rates.
As he says, this situation constitutes “a blatant injustice”.
Furthermore, the new Public-Private partnerships in the road sector (the partnership with VIALITORAL was extended for another 18 months and ends in June 2026), the socialist notes that there are still no prospects for their financial impacts on the budget for 2026 and beyond. “We are concerned that the investments that will be the target of road PPPs; little is known about the new works and their costs and budgetary impacts. Victor Freitas, PS deputy
The deputy concluded that the budget represents a deviation from the priorities announced by the Programme of the Regional Government PSD/CDS, especially regarding health and housing.
Interestingly, the 60 million deficit in public spending on housing is the same amount of public money that is needed to build two new golf courses and upgrade the existing ones.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
