Portugal’s 2015 Budget is set to defy Brussels as it aims for a deficit of 2.7% of GDP rather than the 2.5% agreed with the country’s lenders.
With a general election on the horizon and approaching fast, Pedro Passos Coelho (pictured) can state that he is sticking to a range of harsh austerity measures yet will allow enough money, or the promise of enough money, to slip into voters’ pay packets to attract votes.
The Hoteliers Association for the Algarve (AHISA) today introduced an annual "Seal of Quality for Tourism" (Qualidade Turística) which will be awarded to the top 30 restaurants in the region from next year.
The project dreamed up by the AHISA , the School of Hospitality and regional tourism bodies aims to have the stamp recognised as a synonym for 'excellent regional cuisine, hygiene and food safety and customer service.'
The tax rate will be set at 60 cents per millilitre, according to proposals contained in the 2015 State Budget as the government hopes to raise in excess of €105.9 million in tobacco taxes next year.
The list of taxable products in the tobacco category has just grown to include e-cigarettes which have gained wide acceptance as they deliver nicotine but involve zero smoke inhalation yet they are included in the tobacco tax category on the pretext of tax equity with tobacco products.
Germany was forced to cut its economic forecast after figures revealed that industrial production in the eurozone slumped in August.
In August, production was 1.9% lower than a year ago.
On the day that the Citius computer system is meant to go live after a delay of six weeks, the head of the programme has offered his resignation
Rui Mateus Pereira, head of the Institute for Financial Management and Equipment of Justice (IGFEJ), confirmed today that he had offered to resign and does not expecting a reprieve.
Fewer countries are managing to hang on to their much prized AAA credit status in the wake of the financial meltdown.
Finland was stripped recently of its top AAA rating, after Standard & Poor’s put it down one notch to AA+.
A judge in the Setúbal court has decided to reopen the case of the six students who drowned at Meco beach in December 2013.
Vítor Parente Ribeiro, the lawyer representing the families of those who drowned, said today that the case is to be reopened and the court has responded positively to his request for an opening statement.
The €4 billion hole in the accounts of Banco Espírito Santo Angola is to be investigated by the Bank of Portugal which will focus on the bank's exposure under the management of the former chief executive Ricardo Salgado.
The missing millions at BES and its Angolan subsidiary, BESA, will be the big issue as the regulator looks at Salgado’s actions and activities to see if and where offences have been committed.
