The leader of Juntos pelo Povo (JPP), Élvio Sousa, reiterated this morning the urgent need to reduce the cost of living in the Autonomous Region of Madeira, recalling a study commissioned by the Regional Government in 2019 and criticizing the budgetary priorities of the PSD/CDS executive, which, he claims, continue to ignore the real problems of Madeiran families.
“In 2019, a study that has been forgotten, commissioned by the Regional Government of Madeira to Aximage, under the theme ‘Qualitative study for the evaluation of the social, cultural and economic reality of the RAM’, identified the cost of living as one of the most frequently mentioned topics by the almost five thousand respondents,” recalls the leader of the JPP in a press release.
“The study remains entirely relevant today,” emphasizes Élvio Sousa, adding that, “besides mentioning low wages and the cost of water (ARM), electricity and gas, the Madeirans surveyed also mention products that are more expensive than on the mainland.”
“These prices are further aggravated by the costs of transporting goods and by VAT, which is only one percentage point lower than the national rate of 23%,” he criticizes.
“Six years later, we are still facing the same problems,” laments Élvio Sousa, pointing to “the aggravating factor of the lack of affordable housing, which leaves families in utter despair and young people without a future.”
“Reducing the cost of living should be a priority,” argues the JPP leader, stressing that “it is in the hands of the PSD/CDS government to achieve it” and that “all it takes is the will.”
“Lowering taxes and VAT has a direct impact on families, businesses, and individuals,” he argues, considering that this measure “is the direct formula for creating wealth, jobs, and promoting better wages and training for workers.”
“This formula also includes opening up more competition in port operations,” says Élvio Sousa, arguing that this is “essential for achieving more competitive prices in the transport of goods between Madeira and Porto Santo.”
“The same applies to the reduction in the price of gas and its inclusion in the list of petroleum products,” he adds, noting that this is a product “that has, curiously, escaped regulation for decades.”
“It is equally essential to create all the necessary infrastructural conditions, such as providing a second ramp,” he states, “to establish a maritime link between the Madeira Archipelago and mainland Portugal via ferry.”
“The promise of a basic salary for young people and an insularity allowance for private sector workers, promised and included in this year’s budget, has not gone beyond the planning stage,” denounces the leader of the JPP.
“In a region where there is a housing shortage, where families are suffocated by credit and rent, and where young people are leaving Madeira,” he criticizes, “the Government ends up doubling the 2026 Budget for golf courses.”
“When you compare what is spent on these infrastructures with what is allocated to surgeries,” he emphasizes, “it becomes clear that these are not priorities.”
“This is an insult,” concludes Élvio Sousa.