Opposition in the Lisbon Chamber criticizes the lack of transparency of investment on World Youth Day

PS, PCP and BE advisers in the Lisbon Chamber criticized this Wednesday the lack of transparency of the PSD/CDS-PP leadership in the municipality’s investment for World Youth Day, including the construction of a €4.24 million altar stage.

From the PS Council, Pedro Anastasio demanded clarification from the PSD / CDS-PP leadership, which rules without an absolute majority, by contract, by direct agreement, for works for the stage-altar of the World Youth Day (WYD), in the amount of 4.24 million euros, considering “absolute lack of transparency” and warning that this amount “exceeds the legal exclusion limits” set for the organization of the event.

According to information posted on the portal of the Public Procurement Base, the construction of the altar stage “was awarded 4.24 million euros (plus VAT)”, adding to this cost “1.06 million euros for indirect coverage of funds”.

Socialist Pedro Anastasio asked about the change in SRU’s procedures for communicating with all members of the executive branch regarding works for WYD, as well as the involvement of event promoter Alvaro Covoins and how he represents the municipality.

PCP adviser João Ferreira reiterated a request he made on Thursday for access to the WYD ‘dossier’, acknowledged the ‘difficult situation’ with WYD preparations with ‘little happening’ in the previous executive, but stressed the duty of transparency and rigor, criticizing lack of information about the investment in the altar stage and expressing doubts about how “a project of this kind can be used in the future.”

With a request submitted in July on WYD contracts for transparency, EE’s sole adviser, Beatriz Gomes Diaz, once again asked for clarification on the implementation of the Code of Public Contracts, citing that the cost of the altar stage is “excessive” and felt that ” it is inexplicable that this value is subject to a direct adjustment contract”, concluding that “this is a bad decision”.

In response, the mayor of Lisbon stressed that he was “the first” to express concerns about WYD costs, recalling the dialogue he had with the government and the church to ensure “all costs are calculated and everything is transparent.” in which he suggested that the municipality would not provide “more than 35 million euros” in terms of investment in the event.

“I was worried about the details of these expenses, but I was really interested in: who did it, who paid for the screens, was it the government if it was the council, who paid for the bathrooms, if it was the government. if it was a camera. All this was discussed, all this was worked out and all this was agreed upon,” said Carlos Moedas (PSD).

As for contracts under direct agreement, the mayor said that this is the only way to prepare everything for the opening of the WYD, which will take place from 1 to 6 August.

“The only way we have to get everything ready that day is what is called a direct adjustment, but I didn’t go and that decision was political, we didn’t go for what would be a pure direct adjustment.” , – explained Carlos Moedas, explaining that the contract to work on the altar stage was concluded after consultations with seven companies, during which various proposals were discussed and “there were prices of about eight million euros.”

Convinced that there was “full transparency” in which companies were consulted and prices were reduced during the process, the SDP mayor concluded: “The most important question here is not whether it is four million or five million. [de euros]is that if we really want to host an event of this magnitude, it must be done, it must be implemented, this is the image of Lisbon, this is our image, this is the image of the country.”

Lisbon Deputy Mayor Filipe Anacoreta Correia (CDS-PP), responsible for the preparation of the WYD, assured that the work carried out for the event will remain in the city, including the altar stage.

The mayor also classified the works in question as “benefit” from an environmental point of view as they are taking place on the site of the old Beirolas landfill and will bring “much more return than the investment”, with participation expected. 1.5 million people in six days, which could lead to revenues of “between 200 and 300 million euros”.

Last Thursday, the Lisbon City Council approved a medium-term and long-term loan of up to 15.3 million euros to finance investments under the WYD.

At a closed meeting of the executive branch of the city council, a proposal to take a loan to finance works related to the preparation of the WYD was made possible among the 17 elected, with one vote against BE, with nine abstentions – four from the PS, two from the PCP, two from Citizens for Lisbon (elected by the PS/Livre coalition) and one from Livre – and seven votes in favor of the Novos Tempos coalition (PSD/CDS-PP/MPT/PPM/Aliança).

World Youth Day is the largest meeting of young Catholics from around the world with the Pope, which takes place every two to three years, from July to August.

Lisbon was chosen in 2019 to host the 2022 meeting which was rescheduled to 2023 due to the covid-19 pandemic.