As part of a current debate on the closure of commercial establishments in the city, requested by the PCP municipal, the assembly approved a recommendation for the chamber to carry out “an urgent assessment and review of the municipal program and the regulations for Lojas com História”, including an evaluation of classification criteria and improving protection mechanisms.

Presented by the PCP, the recommendation was approved with votes against from Chega, abstention from the IL and votes in favour from BE, Livre, PEV, PCP, two independent deputies from Cidadãos Por Lisboa (elected by the coalition PS/Free), PS, PSD, PAN, MPT, PPM and CDS-PP.

Representing the chamber, the councillor for Culture and Economy, Diogo Moura, (CDS-PP), shared that the executive is working on changing regulations for the Lojas com História program, to “increase the possibility of distinction”.

The PCP’s recommendation, presented by Natacha Amaro, also included a plan to carry out a study on the city’s tourist load, “approved in 2019 at the chamber, awaiting implementation, which will have vital importance for commerce in certain areas of the city, namely in Baixa”, and to take concrete measures to support and defend local commerce.

With votes against by PSD, PPM and Chega, the abstention of CDS-PP and the votes in favour of BE, Livre, PEV, PCP, two deputies from Cidadãos Por Lisboa, PS, PAN, IL and MPT, the assembly recommended the council to reinforce the public transportation network and create dissuasive parking lots that encourage people to travel to certain areas of the city to make purchases.

In response to the approved recommendations, Diogo Moura said the chamber already has a program to support new businesses and the expansion of existing businesses, including providing legal and financial consultancy, additionally, there is also a fund which will help Lojas com História, having already provided €75 million, financing 80 percent of the value of each intervention in establishments.

Regarding the legislation, the councillor assured that the chamber is complying with its duties and stated “the Government is not, it has not changed zero licensing”, a law which facilitates the opening of commercial establishments.

As part of the municipal program Há Vida No Meu Bairro, which aims to implement the concept of the “15-minute city”, the council intends to “ensure that neighbourhoods have fundamental services nearby”, namely local commerce, green space, education, health, social support, sport and culture, indicated Joana Almeida, noting that a diagnosis is being made throughout the city to see where these proximity functions are lacking.

“We have no information regarding commerce, due to zero licensing in 2011 created by the PS Government” criticised Joana Almeida, who explained that this lack of data makes it difficult to develop a study of tourism in Lisbon and evaluate the Plano de Pormenor da Baixa.

“Zero Licensing makes it difficult to create a tourism policy for the city, however, we are not giving up”, announced the mayor, defending the implementation of a trade policy for the city, in addition to the Lojas com História.

A proposal by Livre recommended “the rapid preparation of the monitoring report and the beginning of the process of reviewing the Plano de Pormenor e Salvaguarda da Baixa Pombalina”, as well as the implementation of a set of commercial urban planning measures to revitalise and protect the diversity of historic commerce in the city of Lisbon.