Madeira News Blog

(14th August). The main photo on today’s front page shows a rather bored looking man dressed all in while leant against his idle wicker basket (the type you ride in) : ‘The Problem With Monte Is The Lack Of Parking – Monte lives a period of great festival, with the usual gathering. But actually the rest of the year to stop there in a car is a chore’. It’s another one of those Diário featured locations, must be the fourth one this week? Faith and tourism fuel the parish of Monte. It is essentially a village turned towards the foreigners, but the locals ask for more doctors in the health centre, roads and parking. Tonight is the big night in the festival of Nossa Senhora. In the Largo da Fonte, the movement is already huge, not just with traders getting ready for the big weekend and hoping for good business, but also with tourists, emigrants returned for holidays, and curious folk from other parts of Funchal.

You were warned … top flight football is back today : ’1st League Starts Today – Leixões – Belenenses starts (20h15) a new season. Tomorrow Nacional receive Sporting’. Indeed a tough start for our local teams, with Nacional hosting Sporting tomorrow (at 7.15pm, live on RTP1). Even tougher is Marítimo’s visit to Benfica on Sunday (live on SportTV1 at 8.15pm).

In a late update to yesterday’s story : ‘Guns And Drugs In The Mega-operation In Santo Amaro – PSP identified 137 individuals, 5 were detained’. The regional command of the police divulged late yesterday the result of the Special Operation of Crime Prevention (OEPC) that took place Wednesday evening in Santa Amaro. The five detentions were for drug trafficking, possession of a prohibited firearm, judicial disobedience, and driving without a license. Searches of a number of residences and businesses allowed the seizure of 7 arms and small quantities of drugs. The operation, which controlled all access points to the area, allowed police to undertake checks on 435 vehicles, of which 15 were detained for various offences. In addition one person was ‘captured’ for deserting from military service.

‘Car Driving License Now Allows Some To Drive A Motorbike – The new law that comes into force today allows driving of motorbikes up to 125cc’. Car drivers (category B) aged 25 and over, or with alternative license conditions, can now drive a motorbike up to 125 cc in capacity (11 kw / 15 horsepower). The alteration has been made resulting in law nº. 78/2009, effective 13th August. Persons aged under 25 will have to take and pass an exam. The change is hoped to have a beneficial effect on traffic and also in an environmental aspect, as many more car drivers leave their cars at home and jump on a motorbike instead. You should check you own circumstances if acting on this news, as different conditions may apply to those mentioned.

‘Social Security Take Care Of The Old Lady From Pico dos Barcelos’. She will continue to live at home, but Aldora aged 74, who was abandoned by her family at the weekend, is already in the hands of social services, who have taken her to the doctor. As there are no available places in old peoples homes, she will stay in her apartment, but will be accompanied at night by an assistant, and during the day will be visited by a girl who will walk with her, deal with her meals, and control her medications. Well done the Diário … another fine result.

This from the Jornal da Madeira yesterday :  ‘Government is constructing nine educational establishments – This school year will see the initiation of two new schools and three further improved schools’. New schools / divisions to be ready next year are the basic, secondary and third cycle schools in São Jorge, secondary and technology in São Martinho, and basic and pre-school in Câmara de Lobos. Also there will be works of expansion and modernisation at the pre-school and basic school in Ponta do Pargo, in São Paulo (Ribeira Brava), Tanque in Monte, and São Filipe in Santa Maria Maior. Other works to be started in the coming months will be pre-school and basic schools in Porto da Cruz, Romeiras in Santo António, and in Imaculado Coração de Maria, and a new infant school in Santa Cruz. The list goes on … 7,261 teachers will start the new year on 21st September, including 1,402 on non-permanent contracts. Add to that 3,226 other staff in schools. 51,161 students are expected to attend classes in the coming academic year. 

Thought yesterday was bad on the Gripe A count? In the last 24 hours (announced around 8pm yesterday) there were another 149 cases of swine flu, taking the total to 884, the Ministry of health has announced. 136 of the cases were by cross infection within Portugal.

The final front page story today : ‘Commission Of Honour – Ex-Leaders of PS-M and independents of the region on the commission of support for the national lists’. The list of supporters of Prime Minister José Sócrates includes 10 Madeirans, including ex-leaders of the socialist party of Madeira. I think this is about the committee that will support and launch the prime minister as the number one candidate (for re-election) at the national legislative elections on 27th September. From Madeira there will be 2 ex-leaders of PSD-M, local party activists, and also independent figures close to the socialist party. All in all, a group of people spanning business, culture, economy, and politics. The selection of the names indicates a will to reinforce a party seen to be suffering with an identity crisis, and present a different face from that shown in 2005.

It expected that prime minister Sócrates will visit Madeira before the September elections. He could come to the party rally here at Fonte do Bishpo, but with little more than a week to go and with no announcement yet, that is looking unlikely.

(17th June). ‘MP Called To Investigate New Message For Jardim – A banner placed early Tuesday morning on the câmara of São Vicente demands explanations of the leader of PSD-M and pushes Humberto Vasconcelos to react’. This is the continuing saga of somebody placing scribbled banners in prominent places, to try and get the PSD to nominate the current president of the council to stand for re-election in October. The latest message said : "Alberto João Jardim we want an explanation of why you are thinking about expelling our Humberto "president. "We don’t want Cubans".  President Jardim’s response was that it was a normal situation with local elections approaching, with "some episodes to entertain the folks". Quite where the Cubans come into this I don’t know, and quite why it is getting front page coverage since the weekend I am not sure either. One thing is certain is that Uncle Bertie is not famous for being swayed by public opinion, and these banners are presumably the work of just one or a few persons.

‘Personal Attacks And Offence In The Meeting Of The Socialists’. This goes back to the policy meeting of the socialist party (PS-M) on Monday night, where the poor European election results on Madeira were discussed, along with the state of the party here, currently in meltdown. The picture given at the following press conference was one thing, but someone has blabbed about the other aspect of the meeting, and the ‘washing of dirty laundry’ that went on, particularly regarding the dreadful leadership performance of the leader of the party here who rejected criticism regarding the election results. The article cites personal attacks, insults, and angry voices, but no actual quotes given in the Diário. President Jardim, also leader of the social democrats (PSD-M) here, did his best to smooth things over saying that PS-M is a small party, and referred to the lack of intelligence in its strategies.

I wouldn’t normally include something like this, but I know there are a lot of Brits who visit this blog, and I presume quite a few have houses on Madeira that they let out. ‘Tax Breaks for Those Letting a Holiday Home – Act Before 31st July’. From April 2010, those letting a furnished holiday property will see it being taxed in a different way. Changes announced in the 2009 Budget mean that UK residents who let (or have previously let) a furnished holiday home in Europe need to act quickly to secure a short term tax break. Currently, those who let out a holiday home can offset any losses from the rental against other income. There are also more beneficial capital gains tax reliefs when selling such property. From April 2010, these tax advantages will be withdrawn. However, until then, the current rules are being extended to apply to qualifying property in the European Economic Area (EEA). The particular qualifying conditions are extremely specific and as a result are best discussed with your normal taxation adviser. Losses can be set against other income as far back as the 2006/7 tax year, but claims must be made before 31st July 2009. Individuals who may have sold such property in the tax years 2003/4 onwards should also undertake a review.

‘Justice Police And Tax Inspectors Undertake Searches in Businesses – The searches were made throughout the country and covered several companies in various sectors’. The Central Department of Investigation and Penal Action (DCIAP) confirmed yesterday that they are conducting "searches at the level of the whole country, looking for crimes of tax evasion and other qualifying infringements". The details of the operation are being kept secret, but the homes of company directors are also included if needed, and looking for evidence of money laundering is also part of the remit.