Portimão council, with a debt amounting to €160 million, is listed among the 100 most “transparent” municipalities in Portugal, along with Loulé, Lagoa and Albufeira. The four Algarve councils appear in the annual Municipal Transparency Index (ITM) created by TIAC, a non-governmental organisation dedicated to fighting corruption.
Loulé is the region’s most “transparent” council, ranking at 18th, followed by Lagoa (38th) and Portimão (79th), which leapt 80 spots on last year’s index.
Portimão council has already highlighted the feat, saying that it is proof of “the new administration’s efforts to keep its activity absolutely clear and transparent”.
The index, which ranks Portugal’s 308 municipalities, is led by Alfândega da Fé, with a top-10 also including Carregal do Sal, Torres Novas, Porto de Mós, Mirandela, Évora, Marinha Grande, Lousada, Vizela and Seixal.
In a nutshell, the ITM attempts to determine how transparent a municipal council is according to the information it posts online on its website, such as data related to the municipality’s “organisation and functioning” as well as its level of “urban, economic and financial transparency”.
The full ranking of Algarve municipalities is as follows:
1. Loulé (18th)
2. Lagoa (38th)
3. Portimão (79th)
4. Albufeira (88th)
5. Faro (110th)
6. São Brás de Alportel (119th)
7. Vila do Bispo (128th)
8. Olhão (141st)
9. Tavira (144th)
10. Vila Real de Santo António (148th)
11. Monchique (169th)
12. Castro Marim (174th)
13. Silves (199th)
14. Alcoutim (205th)
15. Lagos (206th)
16. Aljezur (237th)
For the full national ranking, visit: http://poderlocal.transparencia.pt/ranking-global
