Challenges future government (and opposition) “not to waste taxpayers’ money”
The Independent Technical Commission (CTI) for Lisbon’s new airport is trying again for political consensus.
It has recommended that the future government and the largest opposition party (PS) agree on a location, warning that wasting a study is wasting taxpayers’ money.
“At one time in the past, they (the two parties) managed to agree on a consensus and, with that consensus, they published the cabinet resolution that appointed the Independent Technical Commission that did this work.
“Our recommendation is that they reach the same consensus again,” CTI coordinator Rosário Partidário told Lusa.
The CTI released the final report last night regarding the strategic environmental assessment of the new terminal – maintaining its recommendation of a single solution in Alcochete or Vendas Novas.
The report conceded there is limited viability for the option of a strictly complementary airport in Santarém – and reiterated that the Montijo option is “not worth it”*
Given Portugal’s current state of political ‘imbroglio’, Rosário Partidário said she had “strong hopes” that the CTI’s work will not be wasted, which would be “wasting taxpayers’ money”.
“Make this consensus to take the decision and move forward with its implementation, because just taking the decision is not enough. Implementing the decision is extremely urgent, and all the deadlines we are setting are deadlines that will only happen once we can start putting studies forward and designing projects,” she said.
On December 11 last year, PSD leader Luís Montenegro said that the internal working group to analyse the location of Lisbon’s new airport had been set up and that the decision would be taken “in the first few days” of a possible Social Democrat government, which, fast-forwarding to present day, means a decision should be taken shortly after March 20.
*The trouble with this technical view on Montijo is that it could find itself overridden by commercial interests. Click here for further details.
Source material: LUSA
