The President of the Regional Government stated today that the Social Mobility Subsidy should revert to its previous format, following the recent changes implemented by the Government of the Republic.
“Confusion, they’ve already created enough and now it’s necessary to clean up this mess,” said Miguel Albuquerque, on the sidelines of a visit to the construction site of a new Data Center for the Region. When questioned by journalists about how to do it, the official was emphatic: “It’s about going back to what existed before.”
Albuquerque highlighted his dissatisfaction with the changes to the SSM (Social Security System), particularly the measure – which has since been suspended – that required beneficiaries to prove they had no debts to the tax authorities and social security, but he also mentioned the reduction of the minimum benefit from 400 to 200 euros.
“This was a complete failure. The entire timing, the procedure, the blunders that were made, in a system that was working well,” declared the head of the Madeiran Executive. Miguel Albuquerque acknowledges that “it is worthwhile to improve” the model, but that everything must be done based on dialogue and including a “trial period.”
In this regard, the official expressed his willingness to discuss the matter with the Prime Minister, but revealed that there has not yet been any attempt at contact from the Government of the Republic.
“They must still be traumatized by the Presidential elections,” he said. “Now they are discussing the second round, but my main focus is Madeira and the mobility subsidy.”
When asked about the second round, scheduled for January 8th, Albuquerque added that he was only “concerned with knowing” what the candidates were saying about the subsidy issue.