Double funding, a lack of procedure manuals, and delays in recovering surplus funds are among the failings identified in an audit report published last week. Conducted by the Madeira Regional Section of the Court of Auditors, the audit examined support granted by the Regional Government to the 43 Casas do Povo (community centres) of Madeira during 2022 and 2023. No financial infractions were detected during the audit.
Of the approximately €7 million transferred in total, half was intended to support families in vulnerable situations through the Support Programme for the Guarantee of Social Stability (PROAGES). A third financed operating expenses and local initiatives for social, economic, and cultural development, while 10% (approximately €676,000) was allocated to promoting culture and traditions linked to agriculture and rural life.
The Court focused its analysis on the Casas do Povo in Ponta do Sol and Curral das Freiras, where it identified irregularities, such as expenses being submitted simultaneously to different funding bodies to justify cumulative support.
The primary failures identified include the absence of procedure manuals and work instructions for monitoring and supervising support, and failure to meet deadlines for submitting support applications. The Court noted that the process for the restitution of surplus PROAGES funding, totalling €256,380 in 2022 and €189,022 in 2023, only commenced in mid-2025. Furthermore, insufficient verification of expenditure documents prevented public funding from exceeding the costs actually incurred by the associations. Another issue highlighted is that four community centres (Camacha, Câmara de Lobos, Ponta do Sol, and Curral das Freiras) lacked accounting systems that identified expenditure by funding source. Instances of double funding were also identified; for example, expenses for the 2022 and 2023 Chestnut Festivals were simultaneously submitted to the Regional Government, PRODERAM, the City Council, and the Parish Council.
In response to these findings, the Court of Auditors has issued the following recommendations to the Regional Government:
- Rationalise the regulatory framework for supporting the associative sector by promoting coordination between services and information sharing, thereby avoiding the multiplication of actors and controls.
- Issue clear internal instructions regarding mechanisms for monitoring, controlling, and preventing the risk of double funding, including accounting obligations and the segregation of support by beneficiaries.
- Strengthen the control of PROAGES to ensure the timely validation and rapid restitution of surpluses.
- Mandate that the Casas do Povo of Ponta do Sol and Curral das Freiras move funds from events into separate bank accounts and prepare financial reports that are individualised by event.
The Court has also mandated that the heads of the two audited community centres, along with the Regional Secretaries for Inclusion, Labour and Youth, and Agriculture and Fisheries, must inform the Madeira Regional Section of the Court of Auditors by the 30th of November 2026 of the steps taken to comply with these recommendations.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
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