“Some companies are paying twice for the collection of the waste they produce: to the companies that do this collection and another payment, in the water fee charged by the municipal councils, which for us makes no sense”, said Elidérico Viegas.

According to the director of the largest hoteliers association in the Algarve, "this is a double taxation, which penalizes companies that have already hired specialized private companies for the management of their waste".

The new General Waste Management Regime, which enters into force on January 1st, obliges large waste producers to send waste for management through private companies, covering restaurants, tourism enterprises, retail trade and services, among others.

Elidérico Viegas defended that the requirement of solid waste management by companies expressed in the legislation “should cover other sectors of activity, representing an added value for the region and for tourism in the Algarve”.

“What we ask is that companies stop being penalized with double taxation and stop paying waste rates indexed to water consumption, when city councils do not provide this service”, he stressed.

According to the diploma, the so-called large waste producers are those that produce more than 1,100 litres per day.