São Brás has reduced its 2013 municipal budget by around €1 million compared to the previous year and despite the cut-back has described the €12,423,200 sum as a “rigorous and realistic budget” which took into account the current ”fragile social and economic situation.“
The municipality said the main goals for this year’s budget are helping the elderly and underprivileged families, creating a set of measures to support local businesses and reforesting burnt areas caused by last year’s widespread inland fires, as well as completing negotiations related to the 514 road and the Circular Norte road.
A rigorous financial policy combined with balanced management remains crucial for the local authority’s public expenditure to combat a significant lack of income.
São Brás was one of the few municipalities in the Algarve and Portugal that did not qualify for benefit from the financial support plan supplied by the government for local authorities because São Brás had no debts, as they managed to save some money for “rainy days”, claimed a newspaper report.
In 2011, Portugal had been forced to seek EU financial bail-out due to debt crisis and at that time many Portuguese municipalities depended on the government’s financial support.
