Madeira News Blog

(31st July). ‘Millions Given To The Jornal da Madeira Could Be Returned – The competition authority yesterday alerted about the illegal support of the Madeira government to the JM. And it says that Europe could demand the return of €23.4 million. Meanwhile the Diário sacked 13 professionals’. You saw this on yesterdays blog before the Diário published it in printed form, so it’s old news now, although I didn’t realise that the Diário had to sack 13 staff … no wonder it seems to be getting thinner.

The regional secretary of Human Resources, Brazão de Castro, said yesterday that the Government here has "serious doubts" and "disagreements" on some of the points raised by the recommendation of the Competition Authority (AdC) on the financial aid provided by the regional government to the newspaper ‘Jornal da Madeira’, and the consequent distortions in competition in the media of Madeira.  "As a partner of the Madeira Autonomous Region there have been made financial transfers to the Journal of Madeira, with the objective of promoting press freedom, pluralism and diversity of the media" he said, adding that if the government strives to meet the recommendation of the AdC "it would need a reasonable time so as to ensure that the company and the jobs it provides are not put at risk". The Executive Director of EDN, the owners of the Diário, stressed that the current situation could have been avoided, and was not a matter of satisfaction for the company. It’s a no win situation in my opinion, with the only possible solution being to take the Journal into private ownership to ensure Madeira keeps two newspapers and healthy balanced reporting. But what sane investor would take on the Journal now, with such a bad and biased reputation, technically bankrupt, and with a cover price (which in reality is zero) that could probably never be reversed?

A Vice President of the Legislative Assembly of Madeira and a leading candidate to succeed Alberto João Jardim, Miguel de Sousa, yesterday made an appeal to the President of Portugal, taking advantage of his visit to Madeira. The appeal is for the state to pay for the extension works at Madeira Airport, which cost €200 million several years ago. The operating company ANAM has to repay the loan and the interest, and it is that overhead that is keeping Madeira’s airport charges very high and very uncompetitive, and without doubt deterring other airlines and travel companies. De Sousa argues that the state pays for motorways in Portugal, and in Madeira "the airport is our motorway". I don’t often agree with PSD politicians, but I think that is a very fair point.

‘Banks Increase Profits by 17% – The four largest private banks in Portugal profited by €760.7 million in the first 6 months’. BES, BCP, BPI, and Santander Totta together managed to make a profit 17.4% up on the same period last year. Santander did the best with €278 million, followed by BES with net profits of €246 million. BPI made the smallest profit of €89 million, but even that was ten times as much as the same period in 2008. Cost containing measures were the main contributor to the improved results.

A bonus today … Tobi’s video taken yesterday at the Madeira Wine Rally in Funchal

(30th July). ‘CDU Repeats Artur In Funchal Council – The Unitary Coalition wants to move to two councillors and take Dírio Ramos to number 2 behind Artur Andrade’. I am clearly suffering with election boredom already, but it was on the front page, and I really cannot be bothered to read and translate an article involving a party of no-hopers … sorry.

‘Four Flags Take The Place Of Direct Political Speech’. The law does not allow political speeches when the elections are scheduled, and yesterday, at an inauguration in Câmara de Lobos, the President of our Government explained these rules to the people who joined him in the sun for the celebration and speeches. President Jardim still spoke of autonomy and freedom, but the people didn’t need to stretch themselves too much to know what he had in mind. Indeed, on the wall of the new road being inaugurated, there were placed 4 flags of the social democrats (PSD).

‘Regional Government Should Notify Brussels About Assistance To The Jornal da Madeira – Competition authority recommends “adopting principles that avoid distortion in competition”. The government here should inform the European Commission about the financial support being given from public funds, and urges the adoption of practices that will not conflict with the principles of competition with any future funding. The competition authority concluded that the use of public funds constitutes state aid for the newspaper. If in Brussels the funding is judged to be illegal, the money injected may have to be repaid. The amount given until the end of 2007 is assessed at €23.4 million. The regulator warned that future aid given to the media, would have to conform with several principles to avoid distortion of free competition.  This would mean an objective justification based on the likelihood and impact of failure of the recipient of the aid, ensuring that the financial support was proportional to the risk, and not discriminatory.

‘Lack Of Employment Hitting All Sectors Of Activity – USAM presented yesterday an overview of the labour-political situation on Madeira’. “There is no sector of activity that is not affected by lack of employment.” This is a review of the conclusions of the labour-political situation in the region in the first half of the year, presented yesterday morning in a press conference, by the Regional Council of Trade Unions of the Autonomous Region of Madeira (USAM). Worst hit are the hotel sector, and construction and trade. Concerns in the hotel sector are  particularly worrying, because the hotel bosses are getting rid of staff for any number of reasons, and in some cases expecting remaining staff to maintain the same level of productivity after colleagues have been dismissed, singling out the Savoy Hotel “which fired dozens of workers without good reason”. I would have said that demolishing the Savoy Hotel, with government backing, was a reasonable excuse for cutting back on staff.

Madeira’s richest man lost 30% of his fortune, falling from fourth to ninth place in the rich list of Portugal. Madeiran Joe Berardo, according to the magazine ‘Exame’, will now have to manage with just €618 million.

The cruise liners ‘Queen Victoria’, ‘Oriana’, ‘Boudicca’ and ‘Saga Ruby’, have already booked their places in Funchal for the next two New Year celebrations.

(29th/30th July). A late story yesterday : ‘Travel Agents Fear Alarmist Messages About Gripe A – Luciano Jardim says that concerns led to cancellations of trips in the last few weeks’. APVAT wants to reassure the travellers. “The Gripe A virus is present the world over, and it is not necessary to leave Madeira to catch H1N1″, that’s the message being given out by travel agents to counter negative messages passing amongst the public (it just about makes sense, but I suspect it got a bit mangled in the translation). It is younger couples with children who seem to be reacting more. I don’t think this has much to do with swine flu, more like concerns about travel agents losing money. How can you morally justify persuading someone it is just as safe to go abroad when the virus presence there might be much more prolific than here on Madeira? Good for our economy too if people spend their dosh here rather than abroad.

(4th July). ‘Delegation Prepares Royal Visit – Representatives of PR has been in the area and return next week’. Despite being scheduled for the end of the month, the visit of the King of Spain to Madeira is already being prepared for in Madeira and beyond. King D. Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia will be on Madeira between July 30th and August 1st, at the invitation of the President of the Republic, Cavaco Silva, and will be accompanied by him and by his wife, Maria Cavaco Silva. As with other visits of national or foreign VIPs, the King of Spain will also be invited, along with the President and his wife, to a dinner at Quinta Vigia. The last day of the visit is planned for a visit to the island of Porto Santo. Security is a major issue during the visit, and the police here along with the royal security forces are making the arrangements, details of which are not being disclosed.

‘Creches – The Fair Price – New regulation of social action creates discontent. Madeira government already makes adjustments’. The Department of Education and Culture is reviewing day-care costs for youngsters, and making changes in the 6 payment scales, and introducing more levels. New national rules have just reduced the number of levels from 10 to 6, and as these levels link to the amount of family allowance received by the child’s parents, new bands are being introduced to ensure the charges are fair to all and take into account the ability to pay.

The parish of São Roque celebrates this week-end the festival of the Holy Sacrament, a festival with great tradition in the area. The celebrations for Santíssimo Sacramento go through to Sunday evening. Meanwhile the parish of Jardim da Serra celebrates its 13th birthday today.

Today sees the 25th World Coarse Fishing Championship, again with the focus on the Blue Marlin. 8 teams are involved here, and the competition lasts throughout today for a prize of €400,000. The inscription cost $2,140. The competition is held at various locations worldwide, linked to that particular time zone. The first fish that qualifies will have to weigh over 226 kilos, and after that the biggest at the end of the timescales wins. Competitors are kept informed of catches elsewhere by SMS, fax, radio, or email. Last year the winning catch was a Blue Marlin weighing 351 kilos caught near Hawaii. Madeira has won the competition 3 times.

‘Shooting In Canhas Causes Serious Injury – A man aged 51 was hit in the face with a shot from a shotgun’. The victim is in a serious condition after the incident that happened in Fajã e Eiras yesterday at around 1.30am, and will be given plastic surgery. The gunman fled the scene, and the reason for the shooting is still unknown.

‘Traditional Bread Will Have Exemption’. A new law being formed in parliament to reduce the amount of salt used in making bread, will give exemption to bread considered to be ‘traditional products’, and they will not need to meet the maximum permitted salt content of 14 grams per kilo. The health initiative to reduce and inform people on salt intake will use a system of fines to enforce compliance. Individuals will be fined €500 to €3,500, and companies €750 to €5,000 for non compliance once the new law is introduced, which should be in the next 12 months.

‘Jardim Says That The Pinho Case Seems A Thing Of "Kids That Make Rude Gestures – In the Madeira assembly one makes jokes and satire but always in a way that wouldn’t lead to resignation". The Diário obviously thought it was a highlight of the day, the story of the politician who made devils horns with his fingers in the Portuguese assembly and ended up forced to resign. Jardim wouldn’t comment directly on the case, saying that he saw it on TV, and said he thought it must be ‘education day in the assembly of the republic’.

There is a second article on the matter (front page) : ‘Jardim Much Worse Than Pinho – Gestures and insults in the Madeira assembly never lead to resignations’. The picture accompanying the inside article shows Jardim making a sign to someone in the ALM with his hand, which implies ‘robber’.

‘Losses of the Journal da Madeira amounted to €33 million – Jardim rubbishes the auditors report’. President Jardim said that the audit report that virtually declares the JM insolvent means nothing, when comparing such a debt with other media organisations in TV and radio in order to spread the propaganda of the socialist government’. The report issued yesterday said the government owned company JM accumulated losses of €33 million in 2007. The report advises the exit of the regional government from the Jornal, and casts doubts over a verbal agreement with the newspapers distributors. This is not related to the report a few days ago that said the the Jornal was insolvent / bankrupt, but as the Jornal da Madeira is still being published, it looks like our taxes are still going that way for some time to come.