The leader of Juntos pelo Povo (JPP), Élvio Sousa, today publicly criticised the Regional Government of Madeira, accusing the PSD and CDS of prioritising investments in golf courses while “ignoring the real problems” faced by Madeiran families.
On his Facebook page, Élvio Sousa states that “if the PSD and the CDS, which govern in coalition, were as committed to lowering the cost of living as they are committed to spending public money on the construction of more golf courses, we could silence the revolt. But no! They want to use millions from the Regional Budget to increase the number of golf courses in Madeira and Porto Santo.”
The leader of the JPP stresses that he is not against the sport, but rejects the diversion of public funds at a time of widespread difficulties: “I have nothing personally against golf. I cannot admit that in a context of great difficulties in accessing housing for the middle class and young people to be able to stabilise their lives, with a cost of living that does not stop rising and with the growing difficulties of users in accessing surgery, examination or timely consultations, millions of the treasury are spent on the construction of more golf courses.”
According to Élvio Sousa, the planned investment could exceed 60 million euros, an amount that, he says, “would be enough to lower two points of VAT, which is the highest of the outermost regions.”
The party leader also criticises recent statements by the president of the PSD-M: “This week, the President of the PSD-M, who is obsessed with the construction of more golf courses with the money of the people, families and companies, came to say that it was necessary to cut health spending, whose deficiencies in political management are imputed to him.”
About the CDS, Élvio Sousa is equally blunt: “I don’t even talk about the CDS anymore, because it is caged in the government manger and is an accomplice in this situation, when it was once the biggest critic. He became bourgeois. It’s submissive!”
The JPP leader also accuses the Regional Government of a lack of coherence in the management of public resources: “It is curious that the leader of the PSD-M, Miguel Albuquerque, wants to cut Health, but did not cut the increase in the number of members of the boards of public companies (SESARAM, IASAUDE, Housing Investments and APRAM); he did not limit the composition of his government to fewer secretariats, being in coalition with the CDS; and has not taken measures to stabilise and reduce the high number of political appointments of technical specialists, which already reach almost 4 million euros spent per year.”
For Élvio Sousa, the priorities are inverted, demonstrating the great absence of connection of the President of the PSD to the real problems of the population, in a conjuncture of full coffers through extraordinary tax revenue.
The JPP leader questions the social impact that could be achieved with the amount planned for golf courses: “How many homes could be constructed with the 60 million euros from the Regional Budget that will be diverted to golf courses? Many.” He also recalled that, according to the Secretary of Infrastructure, the Government will pay 43 million euros for 210 homes, concluding that “60 million would provide housing for 290 families.”
Élvio Sousa completely rejects the continuity of these investments with public money: “More golf courses with public money, no sir! If the business is profitable, let the private sector advance, because this story of using taxes from families and companies to expropriate and pay for land, make the infrastructures and accessibility of golf courses, and then ‘receive them for free’, is China’s business!”
