The National Association of Parishes presented a proposal to the Portuguese government in Lisbon on Monday requesting a funding increase to 600 million euros in the upcoming state budget.
The association, known as Anafre, urged officials during a meeting at Campus XXI to raise the share of state tax revenue allocated to local parishes from 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent.
Anafre submitted the demand during discussions with government representatives and the Directorate General for Local Authorities, known as DGAL.
In Portugal, parishes represent the lowest tier of local government below municipalities, handling direct services including neighborhood infrastructure, local social support, and public space maintenance.
Rising Operational Costs
In an official statement, Anafre said the additional funding is essential to counter cumulative inflation from recent years, statutory salary increases, and rising prices for products, services, and fuel.
Francisco Brito, the president of Anafre, explained that parishes operate on the smallest budgets of any local authorities in Portugal, making them the most vulnerable to sudden cost increases.
Brito said that when costs for fuel, materials, and services rise, parish administrations lose their operating margin, which directly hurts local populations.
He warned that without adequate financial reinforcement, local councils will be unable to effectively meet their daily obligations, putting essential public services, social programs, and public space maintenance at risk.
Additional Reform Demands
Beyond tax revenue adjustments, Anafre called for legislative changes to ensure that every parish has at least one full time elected official.
Under current regulations, many local parish leaders work only part time, a system Anafre argued fails to reflect the heavy workload and administrative responsibilities of community governance.
The association also requested corrections to financial allocations tied to the Lisbon Administrative Reform and demanded that parishes receive right of first refusal when purchasing real estate, matching rights currently granted to municipal governments.
Budget Negotiations Ahead
Brito stated that reinforcing financial resources for local parishes directly strengthens the overall response capacity of the entire country.
He confirmed that Anafre will closely follow the upcoming state budget process, advocating for increased local operational capacity in future negotiations with the government and the Assembly of the Republic.
