Portugal News

January 18, 2019

Revive programme extended to include countryside properties

The Revive programme, launched in 2016 to promote the sale or lease of old public buildings to the tourism sector, has received enquiries from about 440 interested parties, “of which 100 are foreigners,” said the Secretary of State for Tourism….

January 18, 2019

‘Green Visa’ option for Golden Visa applicants

Far from abolishing the suspiciously opaque Golden Visa programme, Portugal’s government is intent on widening the scheme by adding a new category, the ‘Green Visa.’ Parliament turned down a bill proposed by the opposition parties to abolish the Golden Visa…

January 18, 2019

Renovations and repairs commissioned for Arrifana and Odeceixe beach areas

Aljezur Council and Polis Litoral Sudoeste Society, the sister organization to Polis Litoral Ria Formosa and also ‘in liquidation’, has announced that it has commissioned work to Portinho da Arrifana and is creating a footbridge to Odeceixe beach. The deal…

January 18, 2019

Lagoa’s Mayor wary of taking over local schools and healthcare

The mayor of Lagoa has spotted the obvious flaws in the government’s mission to decentralise services to local Councils and is clear that, without a lot more financial information, he is not able to accept the deal on offer. All…

January 18, 2019

Brussels warns of “high risks” in Portugal’s public finances over the medium term

The European Commission has noted that Portugal’s insufficient debt reduction targets have left the nation’s public finances at ‘high risk’ in the medium term. This less-than-cheery assessment is set out in the “2018 Budgetary Sustainability Report” published today by the…

January 17, 2019

e-auction system sold over 5,000 properties last year

The sale of seized goods and property through the e-auction system has raised €930 million since the scheme started in May 2016. In the past three years, more than 9,000 properties have been auctioned off, each one in lieu of…

January 17, 2019

Violent gang on trial for ten Algarve robberies in 2017

The violence used in a series of robberies in Faro, Olhão and São Brás de Alportel has shocked the prosecution lawyer as four men stand trial in Faro Court for the crimes committed in 2017. “The Public Prosecutor’s Office of…

January 17, 2019

Duarte Lima in yet another bid to avoid jail

Convicted fraudster, Duarte Lima, today lodged another appeal in an increasingly futile attempt to stay out of jail The latest appeal is to the Constitutional Court to avoid starting a six-year prison sentence handed down in the BPN-Homeland case. Three…

January 17, 2019

Olhão Council admits Outubro 5th roadworks are severely affecting businesses

The main restaurant street in Olhão, Avenida 5 de Outubro, currently being dug up, is to have more pavement space for diners. Work is progressing slowly with businesses complaining of a severe drop in low season trade. The Council, aware…