Minister Ana Abrunhosa was confronted today by Deputy Carlos Peixoto, of PSD, in parliament, who accused the Government of “cheating” by announcing 50 percent discounts for the old SCUT (No Costs for the User) from 1 July, as provided for in the State Budget for 2021 (OE2021), which actually only translate into discounts “of 30, 40, 45 percent at most”.

Ana Abrunhosa explained that the Government applied the 50 percent discount taking into account prices that were in force before the discounts that were already applied on 1 January of this year.

According to the minister, the Government approved, in early November 2020, discounts on the old SCUT tolls as of 1 January.

At the end of the same month, the Assembly of the Republic approved the OE2021 Law, which determined discounts of 50 percent on these roads.

“Yes, these are the effective discounts, because our understanding was that, when in early November a reduction of tolls was approved and in late November the AR approved another discount scheme, so when we applied this scheme of discounts, it was in substitution”, she said, stressing that the resolution that approved the discounts “is clear”.

Deputy Carlos Peixoto considered, however, that “out there, no one notices these explanations” because “what the AR approved was a 50 percent discount on the rates in force.”

“This is what everyone understands. When the AR decrees a discount, it is on the current tolls. It’s not about the tolls that were in effect a year, two, three or even 10 years ago. That doesn’t make any sense. The idea is that the Government has been tricking people. And that doesn’t look good. It weakens institutions and democracy”, he defended.