MAYOR_Invites, Mação

Mayor
José Manuel Saldanha Rocha

Address
Rua Padre António Pereira Figueiredo
6120-750

Tel.: +351 241 577 200
Fax: +351 241 577 280

Email: presidente@cm-macao.pt
Site: http://www.cm-macao.pt

Characteristics
NUT II: Centro
NUT III: Pinhal Interior Sul
Distrito : Santarém
Number of freguesias (parishes): 8
Area (sqKm): 400,0
Population density (hab/sqKm): 18,3
Class: S (Small, up to 10.000 inhab.)

04.06.2007
  1. What is the long-term vision you have regarding the development of your municipality?
  2. Why do you consider your municipality to be attractive as a location for companies and businesses?
  3. Do you think that the municipality has a vocation and is in the position to receive Foreign Direct Investment?
  4. And concerning Domestic Investors?
  5. Is there any person or service available with the task to support potential investors who are considering establishing their production units in your municipality?
  6. Which specific incentives could be offered to entrepreneurs who intend establishing their units in your municipality?
  7. What is the availability of labour in the area?
  8. How is the municipality being promoted so as to attract investors?
  9. Is there a specific message you have for potential investors?
1. What is the long-term vision you have regarding the development of your municipality?

I think that the future of the municipality of Mação should stand on a knowledge, innovation and education culture in transversal areas like cultural and historic heritage, sustainable management of our forests (our anchor, our identity, our expression) and some activity sectors, endogenous, of the agro alimentary range namely meat, olive oil, honey and cheese.

Larger and better access to Scientific Culture and Technology will bring inevitably other motivation for investments, more jobs, better sustainable development, more consume, more tourism for stability and quality of life.

It will bring as well new inhabitants, attracted by a qualified place with regard to the knowledge society and with better quality of life than in large urban centres, a fact that already exists around the new museum and some economic activities.

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2. Why do you consider your municipality to be attractive as a location for companies and businesses?

Strategic territorial localization in relation to larger Portuguese cities like Lisbon, Oporto, Coimbra and Faro. Immediate entrance to Spain and in consequence to the rest of Europe.

Reduced temporal distances to important cities referred to before (1h30min to Lisbon, 2h15min to Oporto, 5h to Madrid, 3h to Salamanca, 1h15min to Badajoz).

Proximity to the International Airport of Lisbon. Proximity to railway. Good links to an excellent road network (A1, A15, A13, A23, and A68 – important and direct access to the rest of Europe) with or without toll.

Fiscal and social facilities and benefits, low prices of terrain. Business location areas with infrastructure like electricity, sewerage and broadband internet access.

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3. Do you think that the municipality has a vocation and is in the position to receive Foreign Direct Investment?

The municipality of Mação has of course the vocation and is in position to receive foreign investment. This task is clearly assumed by the executive.

The Museum of the Prehistoric Art, for example, has been directly financed by the European Commission through the Municipality of Mação, thus recognizing our capacity for internalisation and generation of economic and cultural impact.

This is valid as well for many other areas like the forest management and the agro alimentary sector which are success stories on a national and international level.

I think it is important to refer that the municipality of Mação created in partnership with the Polytechnic Institute of Tomar and the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro and with collaboration of some foreign Universities (U. Ferrara, U. Navarra, U. São Paolo, University of Cambridge) the Institute Terra e Memória, and thus can guarantee support to innovation and scientific training.

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4. And concerning Domestic Investors?

What has been mentioned before with regard to foreign investment applies for the integration of national investment as well, in various activity sectors like for example the agro alimentary sector, wood and its by-products, alternative energies like wind power, hydraulic, solar and biomass; culture of knowledge, of heritage, already ongoing activity sectors in our municipality. We are receptive for investment in these or other areas, like for example in the hotel sector (hotels, inns, Pousadas), where a noticeable gap exits which has to be filled. There is a business opportunity here, a window for investment that we are going to explore and support, because it is structural for the municipality.

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5. Is there any person or service available with the task to support potential investors who are considering establishing their production units in your municipality?

7 years ago the Municipality of Mação created GEMA - a municipal cabinet to support enterprises - which investors can address to receive information and guidance with regard to the projects they are intending to submit for evaluation to the City Council for implementation in Mação’s territory.

The Municipality’s executive bodies, specifically the Mayor, are the persons in charge for these projects, together with the necessary technical monitoring. On the other side, there are privileged relations with NERSANT (entrepreneurial association of the Santarém region) and IPT (Polytechnic Institute of Tomar), that support and monitor, when necessary, investments.

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6. Which specific incentives could be offered to entrepreneurs who intend establishing their units in your municipality?

The Municipality of Mação offers various incentives as:

  • Industrial area for the symbolic price of 0,01€/m², with proper infrastructure in an industrial zone 4km away from the A23;
  • Fiscal and social benefits due to the special status of the municipality;
  • Centre of Higher Studies of Mação - the Institute Terra e Memória
  • Auditoriums for entrepreneurial use in congresses and training;
  • CNO (Centre for New Opportunities) as a platform for personal training and education of workers, now with the possibility to attain the 12th year;
  • Special conditions to receive new citizens (required by new investments), namely cultural, social and educational services in a family context;
  • Specific training and qualification in the territory, with high quality standards, in traditional areas as construction, forests, agro-alimentary sector, and management of heritage and culture of the territory;
  • Housing market favourable for renting and/or buying.
  • Gastronomy, quality of life, environment, water, swimming pools (covered and uncovered), river beaches, museums, libraries, gamehouses;
  • Applications for funding in the scope of QREN 2007-2013 (National Strategic Reference Framework) with special incentives;
  • Municipality integrated in the waste recycling system of VALNOR (Valuation and Treatment of Solid Residual Waste of Northern Alentejo), properly certified and future investments in biodiesel;
  • Proximity to university centres (IPT - Polytechnic Institute of Tomar, ESACB - Higher School of Agriculture of Castelo Branco, ESAS - Higher School of Agriculture of Santarém, University of Lisbon, Polytechnic Institute of Santarém, Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, Polytechnic Institute of Portalegre, University of Coimbra, University of Évora, University of Beira Interior (Covilhã).

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7. What is the availability of labour in the area?

There is manpower in the geographical area of Maçao and its surroundings available, with variable qualifications according to the sectors.

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8. How is the municipality being promoted so as to attract investors?

The dissemination of the Municipality of Mação works mainly through own institutional means, e.g. on fairs and events and of course through personal contacts.

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9. Is there a specific message you have for potential investors?

I ask potential investors to believe our words. Help us to realise our dreams. It’s sufficient to visit our territory once - the Municipality of Mação.

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