A west coast residents’ association is to test the controversial new laws governing markets by returning to the original concept of car boot sales next Sunday, July 7, for a trial period.
Amovate, the Association of Residents and Friends of Vale da Telha, intends to resume the monthly car boot sale at its Old School House HQ in Vale da Telha, outside Aljezur, after cancelling the traditional event last month following the contentious police raids on the Barão de São João flea market.
An Amovate spokesman said: “Research shows us that the car boot sale started out in the UK in the early 70s as a way of focusing a group of people in one place to recycle still useful but unwanted domestic items that previously might have been thrown away.
“These car boot sales are a mainly British form of market in which private individuals come together to sell household and garden goods.
“We believe the Portuguese government crackdown on tax avoidance at flea markets is clearly intended to target anyone who sells goods at a higher price than they paid to buy them in the first place, or who sells items which they make for the express purpose of selling on for profit.”
In order to comply with these new government legislations covering markets, Amovate can no longer accept professional traders. That means the association can only permit access to those people selling their own unwanted goods in the original spirit of the car boot sale; i.e. “unwanted domestic items that might previously have been thrown away but are now being sold for less than the price originally paid for them”.
Furthermore, the Amovate spokesman added: “Nor can we allow access to anyone selling foodstuffs or fruit and vegetables, as these almost certainly require separate licences and are subject to health and safety issues.”
A review is planned by the government and tax authorities to address those parts of the legislation causing confusion in relation to such informal markets.
