Public Private Partnership renegotiations have led to a reduction in charges to the taxpayer of 11.8%, but the deals have been altered to shift road repair liabilities onto the State.

The Technical Unit of Budget Support has warned that there are “costs and potential revenue losses” incurred as a result of the renegotiation of nine PPP road contracts, mostly signed under the Sócrates government as a way of borrowing immense sums of money that did not show up on the government accounts.

Portimão mayor Isilda Gomes has created an internal squabble among her assembly members with those allied to ‘Servir Portimão’ saying they were not consulted over the Municipal Aid Fund rescue plan.

Servir Portimão has accused the socialist led council executive of launching a PR campaign to help see through the €130 million rescue plan which was never agreed on.

OECD data for 2015 show that in a year when there were no income tax rate rises in Portugal, the reality was that taxpayers were squeezed for more.

The figures are from between 2014 and 2015 and show that of the 34 countries in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Portuguese stealth taxes took the greatest toll due to rises in social security contributions and the chiselling away at allowances.

A public petition for the decriminalisation of assisted suicide is to be delivered to Parliament later this month for an open debate on whether to change the current laws.

The petition to enable those that wish to ‘die with dignity’ has more than eight thousand signature so has to be discussed by MPs.

Algarve Chefs' Week this year is scheduled to run between the 6th and the 15th of May. The initiative has been organised by the region’s 5 star hotels with each of their tops chefs challenged to devise an original food concept.

Throughout April, food enthusiasts will have the opportunity to chat with the chefs and join workshops and attend the launch in Loulé’s market where six ‘Ceviche’ creations and a cataplana dish will be presented.

The Algarve’s Alisuper supermarket chain entered insolvency proceedings in March this year following failed negotiations with creditors.

Alisuper’s new owner was faced with a €17 million debt of which €14 million was owed to banks. A disposal programme was started that now includes the Dutch Spar group which has snapped up 12 Alisuper stores for just €750,000.

A law that prevents homes being sold off to clear tax debts has been passed by the Portuguese parliament.

Approved by Socialist, Bloquista and Communist party MPs the decree law now has to be approved by the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.

The French government is to devote about €500 million in initiatives designed to quell unrest among students and young people.

The "Nuit Debout"(Up All Night) movement has seen thousands of young voters gather at the Place de la Republique to show their frustration against various policies of President Francois Hollande's socialist government.