Lisbon Chamber presents budget for 2023, which should include exemption from IMT for youth

Lisbon’s municipal budget for 2023 is presented today by the PSD/CDS-PP leadership, which rules without an absolute majority, and should include an exemption from IMT for young people under 35 to buy their own home up to 250,000 euros.

The proposal will be presented by Deputy Mayor and Finance Officer Filipe Anacoreta Correia (CDS-PP) at 11:00 am at the City Hall, with the Chamber’s leadership predicting that this second 2021 budget. The 2025 mandate will fulfill some of the coalition’s campaign promises.” Novos Tempos (PSD/CDS-PP/MPT/PPM/Aliança).

Among the measures in the Lisbon municipal budget for 2023, according to municipal information that Lusa had access to, are an exemption from the municipal tax on onerous transfer of property (IMT) for young people under 35 years of age to purchase their own housing in the amount of not more than 250,000 euros and a 3.5% personal income tax (IRS) refund to citizens, up again by 0.5%, the same as this year, which rose from 2.5% to 3%.

The 2023 budget proposal also includes funds for the implementation of the Lisbon 65+ health plan, due to enter into force on January 1, with an annual investment of 1.5 million euros, as well as for the Unicorn Factory, which was launched at the end of October , with a total available amount between public and private funding of 8 million euros.

In the field of security, the next municipal budget is to be implemented with the installation of CCTV cameras in Cais do Sodre and then in the areas of Praça dos Restauradores, Ribeira das Naus and Campo das Cebolas, with a gain of 50 elements are also planned in the municipal police with the goal of having “150 more by the end of the term,” according to municipal information.

Regarding the cost of the cultural budget, the PSD/CDS-PP leadership proposes to increase funds by 22% compared to this year to invest in the libraries of Antonio Lobo Antunes and Alberto Mangel, and to fulfill the promise to have a “theatre in every neighborhood” with cultural equipment in each of the 24 parishes of Lisbon.

Governing without an absolute majority (with seven elected members of the Novos Tempos coalition among the 17 elements that make up the municipal executive), the mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas (PSD), managed to make his first municipal budget possible thanks to the abstention of five PS councilors who received votes against the rest of the opposition , namely two from PCP, one from BE, one from Livre and one from independent councilor Cidadãos por Lisboa (elected by the PS/Livre coalition).

The municipal budget for 2022 includes spending of 1.16 billion euros, slightly higher than the previous year (1.15 billion euros), with a focus on providing free public transport for Lisbon residents under the age of 23 and over 65 with an annual budget of up to 14.9 million euros.

Of the measures included in this year’s budget, a 50% discount on parking at the Municipal Mobility and Parking Company of Lisbon (EMEL) for residents throughout the city and the Recuperar + program with 13 million euros to support companies, on a non-refundable basis, with the aim of restarting the economy, a measure that is expected to be implemented in 2023 as part of the fight against inflation.

When he summed up the first year of his presidency in September, Carlos Moedas expressed his confidence that he would be able to approve the municipal budget again, placing some of this responsibility on the opposition, with whom, in his opinion, he “is moving to the next stage.” “.

“It would be a mistake for the opposition to block this mayor’s budget. I sincerely hope that this will not happen, so I will do everything to prevent this from happening,” said Carlos Moedas, promising to “include” the proposals of all political forces that make up the Lisbon municipal executive.

Speaking to the Lusa agency, the social democrat said that the opposition, namely the PS, PCP, BE, Livre e Independente de Cidadãos por Lisboa, have an obligation to “understand and accept” that the PSD/CDS team is in charge of Lisbon. PP and stressed that this leadership has been carried out in a “very inclusive” manner during his first year of office, since taking office on October 18, 2021.