Lisbon Municipal Assembly recommends applying tourist tax to cruises

The Lisbon Municipal Assembly on Tuesday approved a PSD recommendation aimed at effectively applying the city’s tourism tax, in force since 2014, to cruise passengers.

The recommendation was approved by a majority vote in favor of those elected from PSD, PS, PAN, Livre, BE, Aliança, CDS-PP, MPT, PPM, Chega, IL and against from PCP and PEV.

The document recommends that the executive branch, led by Social Democrat Carlos Moedas, “continue efforts to collect a tourist tax from cruise passengers at the first operational moment.”

It is controversial that the tourist tax (two euros) in force in the city of Lisbon has been levied since 2016 in all tourist establishments, namely hotels and local accommodation, but not in ship terminals, although this is included in the proposal approved in 2014 year.

“We understand that regulations must be followed and these funds should not be wasted. Since the fee for arrivals by sea was determined in 2014 and according to the regulations it must be collected for each passenger disembarking at the cruise terminals of the municipality of Lisbon, we understand that this must be implemented, which has not happened,” said PSD deputy Carlos Reis during the discussion document.

According to the elected Social Democrat, “It makes no sense that this fee is not collected in Lisbon when the same thing happens in other European cities, namely Venice (Italy), Barcelona (Spain), Amsterdam (Netherlands) and Dubrovnik ( Croatia). ).

“There is an urgent need to correct this situation by starting to collect a tourist tax at sea under conditions that have yet to be worked out,” he said.

The municipal deputy of Cega, Bruno Mascarenhas, intervened in the discussion of this document and asked to include in the text of the recommendation a clause that the collection of this tax will only begin in 2025 due to “operational problems” and the elected PCP, Fabio Sousa, accuses the Social Democrats of “incoherence.”

“This is a deep inconsistency on the part of the SDP, since in 2014 they voted against the approval of the tourist tax,” the chairman of the parish council, Carnide, also said, stressing that the purpose of the collected money is “in doubt.” , because, in his understanding, “does not contribute to the cleaning and maintenance of the city.”

In response, Social Democratic MP Luis Newton, president of the Estrela parish council, said the PSD voted against the tourist tax in 2014 because it “does not agree with the taxation mechanism” and believes it is “impossible to implement it with the help of operators.”

In addition to this recommendation, the recommendation was also approved to invest in municipal cemeteries (PCP), implement an animal welfare program (PAN), increase the city’s network of public toilets (PS), and reclassify public places. (PEV), improve the Municipal Migration Strategy (BE) and in Education (PS), and draw up a detailed plan for the Serafina and Liberdade neighborhoods in the Campolide parish (PCP).

Regarding this detailed plan, Lisbon City Council housing councilor Filipa Roseta, who was present at the meeting, explained that the plan approved for these neighborhoods in 2018 has been canceled and that the executive is studying one that “better corresponds to this reality.”

“I have already planned a visit to these areas to understand which tool will be the best and most flexible. We are trying to understand what to do,” he indicated, admitting that the decision is similar to what happened in Quinta do Ferro (Graça). , where most of the existing housing is private.

During the session, Chegi’s recommendation calling for the cessation of bicycle lanes on Avenida Almirante Reis, Avenida Lusiada, Avenida Mareschal Gomes da Costa and Rua Castillo was also discussed, but was not implemented.