The Regional Secretary for Tourism, Eduardo Jesus, expressed satisfaction with Minister Miguel Pinto Luz’s announcement regarding the social mobility subsidy, highlighting that this is the third time a member of the Government of the Republic has made such a commitment. The statements were made on the sidelines of a visit to the Club Sport Marítimo Museum.
According to the Madeiran governor, the objective has been, from the very beginning, to ensure that residents only pay the net value of the tickets. “This is very reassuring for us, because it means there is a commitment made by the Government of the Republic,” he stated, adding that this intention has also been reiterated by the Minister of Finance, Joaquim Miranda Sarmento.
Eduardo Jesus believes that the conditions are right to implement the measure, arguing that this solution is “fairer” and that there is currently “unanimity around this principle,” so it will be “a matter of time” until its implementation.
According to reports, residents of Madeira will no longer have to pay the full amount for their plane tickets upfront in the coming weeks, instead paying only the final cost of the trip directly, without needing a subsequent refund.
Currently, the social mobility subsidy scheme requires passengers to bear the full cost of the ticket, being subsequently reimbursed up to the limit set by law, a situation that has been criticized for creating liquidity difficulties for families.
The proposed change aims to eliminate this advance payment, transferring the responsibility for directly paying the airlines the difference between the ticket price and the maximum amount the passenger can afford to pay to the state.