Prime Minister Luís Montenegro said he is willing to consider changes to the 2027 State Budget to provide further support to people living in Madeira and the Azores. He spoke on Tuesday, 27 October, at the start of the budget debate, in response to JPP deputy Filipe Sousa.
Sousa raised the extra costs residents face because of their island situation. He said he would propose direct support for the sea transport of goods during detailed budget talks, to lower the price of essential products. He argued that cutting income tax alone is not enough to ease the cost of living.
Montenegro replied that the Government has not forgotten the autonomous regions and that this is reflected in several parts of the proposal. He said the Government is ready to revisit the financial relationship between central and regional administrations during the detailed discussions.
Sousa also asked when the Government will regulate a territorial continuity mechanism approved by Parliament, which residents are still waiting to see applied.