The President of the Republic announced this Saturday the unveiling of the “More Housing” package, saying that he “prefers anything, even a short one, to nothing.”
“I made this public because the Assembly [da República] confirmed and I had eight days to promulgate, so I had already promulgated, before eight days, a law called “More Housing”, said Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa at the entrance to the XXVI Congress of the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities (ANMP). takes place in Seixal, Setubal district.
Therefore, he added, the government of António Costa now has at its disposal the necessary laws that should regulate them.
“I hope everything goes well. Regulate the laws quickly and move forward with what is an important goal for the end of the legislature,” he stressed.
Marcelo Rebelo de Souza recalled that there is little time left until the end of the legislature and that the “enactment” of the housing policy and its implementation on several fronts will take time.
“This concerns local authorities, includes the preparation of projects, the administrative conclusion of contracts, a number of realities, some of which are already being implemented, while others will have to move quickly,” he emphasized.
If Mais Habitação goes well, it will be “good news for everyone,” he stressed.
The head of state recalled that he vetoed one of the laws because he considered it “short,” but preferred “everything, even short, to nothing.”
If the government manages to satisfy “the needs of thousands and thousands of Portuguese people” on the basis of this law, that will be good and it will be a democratic way to solve problems, he believes.
On the 22nd, the Parliament approved the Mais Habitação program without changes, receiving only a positive vote from the PS, during consideration after the veto of the President of the Republic.
The approval of the decree approving measures in the housing sector, with the introduction of a number of legislative changes, was made possible thanks to the absolute majority of the PS with votes against the PSD, Cega, Liberal Initiative, PCP and Bloc de Esquerda. (BE) and abstained from Livre and People-Animals-Nature (PAN), repeating the last global vote on the program in July.
The resolution of the Assembly of the Republic proposes legislative changes regarding rentals, local residence, vacant properties and taxes.
The most controversial measures are the suspension of registration of new local housing outside low-density areas and emergency contributions, the forced rental of houses that have been empty for more than two years, and the introduction of a cap on the value of new contracts renting houses that are already on the market .
The package also includes a capital gains tax exemption for owners selling homes to the government, an end to the new golden visas, an increase in the dependent deduction under family IMI, changes to the stand-alone property income rate and incentives. tax relief for owners who rent their homes locally by the end of 2024.
When he vetoed the diploma in August, the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, adopted a “serene negative analytical conclusion” in August and criticized the lack of party consensus on the Mais Habitação, but the minister in charge, Marina Gonçalves, reaffirmed the idea that there was balance in the program, and The PS said it would confirm the measures when parliament opens after the summer.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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