Madeira News Blog

TODAY’S PHOTO : Thanks to Vic … the two tall ships referred to by Josie in yesterdays blog. The Creoula(?) on the left, and the Sagres ‘training ship’ on the right.

Source : Diário de Notícias 25/5/2008

Pingo Doce (again!) is to start selling ‘off the shelf’ or ‘free sale’ medical products, starting with the newly refurbished ‘Anadia’ shop, and then in the shops in Cancela, Dolce Vita, Fórum Madeira and hiper do Lido (Eden Mar?).

Petrol prices are thought to be going up again this week, so if you have space and money get your car tanked up.

Vânia’s performance in the Eurovision Song Contest receives high praise, but with strong accusations of cross border and mutual voting totally distorting the results of the competition. 12 countries voted for the Portuguese entry, including notably 8 French points, and 10 each from Andorra and Switzerland. And with ‘nil points’ from Spain, there can be no accusations of vote tampering there.

According to the National Institute of Statistics 49% of homes on Madeira have a computer (up from just 12% in 2001). 41% have internet connections.

Source : Diário de Notícias 26/5/2008

The lead story is about the introduction of new higher taxes on the population of Madeira, to compensate for the reductions in European funding and from Portuguese central government. In 2000 56% of Madeira’s finances were raised from local sources, such as taxes, fines, and charges to businesses, climbing to 65% in 2006. A new finance bill for Madeira is referred to as introducing ‘silent changes’. The government here is limited as to what it can raise taxes on, as IVA (VAT) and duty on fuel and tobacco for instance go to mainland. Over a period of 8 years government (Madeira) expenditure rose from €555 million to €794 million (up 43%). The covering of salaries within government and administration has risen over 50% over the same period, well above the average inflation percentages. It looks like the politicians are looking after themselves and their own, as usual!

Another article talks about the existing poverty and those at risk of falling into the poverty trap because the salary (or take home pay) already just won’t stretch to pay the bills, and the cut backs start with food. Madeiran families have to live with €71 per month below the Portuguese national average income, a situation obviously far worse outside of Funchal. These poor people need tax rises and fines like a hole in the head.

The ‘QE2′ cruise ship will make it’s last ever visit to Madeira on 19th June, after 80 visits to our island that started on 2nd April 1970. The Queen Elizabeth II was inaugurated in September 1967, and 41+ years later will become a floating hotel owned by ‘Dubai World’, who paid €70 million for her. The Ships Enthusiasts Club of the Madeira is planning something to mark the occasion (are they the equivalent of train spotters in a land that has no trains?)

The International Association of Air Transport (IATA), which has 240 member airlines, including the  Portuguese TAP has announced that starting on the 1st June that its members will be moving to electronic ticketing systems, saving €2.2 billion in annual costs, and 50,000 trees. These electronic tickets can be acquired through the internet or travel agents, and buyers will be sent a receipt by email, mail, or fax which they can use to check in at the airport. Fliers on flights involving transfers may still get a paper flight ticket. Blimey! Are we really that stupid! So the airline industry saves mega€uros, and we spend them instead using costly printers, papers, and inks to print them off at home. Any claim to environmental benefits are just hogwash, and if anything, without the economies of scale the environmental impacts will surely be worse?

Portugal tourism is on the up, with a new yearly record for receipts up to March amounting to €7.5 billion. Income for the first quarter of 2008 was up by 11.5% on the same period last year, and up 13.6% over a year. These figures were announced on Friday by the Bank of Portugal.

Finally, a message from Dave : Hi all, we came to Madeira on the 14th May for 5 weeks house hunting but only managed 4 days and was called back to England as some Toerag had broken into our home. What I wanted to say was that the help we had from staff at the Airport was great. (First Choice ) they managed to sort us out within an hour and we were heading home.  The good news is we will be back this Wednesday and try again fingers crossed we managed to get one of those cheap flights someone was talking about £19-99 each.

www.madeira4u.com

Aside from your valued blog responses (you can reply direct using the form at the bottom of each blog page), please send any unreported Madeira news, photos, events information, or snippets for the madeira4u blog to blog@madeira4u.com – thank you!