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The APIPE chief admitted that the few events that have not yet been canceled “will be soon, because they are organized by private entities or groups that, due to the current situation, were unable to raise funds for the parties.”
Carlos Macedo considered the cancellations of parties organized by commissions or private parties “understandable”, but he has another opinion on some events canceled by municipalities and public entities.
“There are events scheduled for September and October that have already been canceled by the municipalities. I think it will be a bit premature, especially since it is not necessary to raise funds for these parts, as foreseen in the annual budgets, ”he explains.
With thousands of parties canceled, the industry faces another serious problem related to storing rockets that were prepared for the Easter festivities: they cannot be used during the fire season, which ends on September 30.
“We intend to ask the Ministry of Internal Administration to make an exception to allow an increase in the storage capacity of the material,” he said, recalling that “the export of material, which was around 10% of production, also was affected entirely by covid-19 “.
APIPE also admits the possibility of requesting the Secretary of State for Tourism that the pyrotechnic industry be considered a tourist complement, in order to take advantage of the support that is being provided to the sector, due to the pandemic.
“We must be considered a tourist complement. We are a fundamental area for tourism, especially for domestic and religious, ”said the official, clarifying that the Code of Economic Activities (CAE) of the pyrotechnic industry does not allow integration into the tourism sector.
Philharmonic Bands have no income and request government support
The Portuguese Musical Confederation (CMP) will ask the government for support for the philharmonic bands, given the loss of income caused by the cancellation of popular / religious festivals due to covid-19, initiatives that guaranteed them most of their income.
For the Lusa agency, the organization’s president, Martim Caetano, guaranteed that the financial losses are “high” because, in most cases, “the annual financing of a philharmonic band comes from the income from its services.”
“The damage is enormous, especially since there is already a decision of the Portuguese Episcopal Conference that postpones all religious events for a year, namely festivals and pilgrimages, where the Portuguese philharmonic bands have a continuous and indispensable presence,” he stresses. .
In this context, the president of the CMP fears the closure of some bands, especially those that “have little financial support from the municipal and parish councils”, which have a “fundamental role” in financing the philharmonic.
“It is very important that these supports are maintained and reinforced,” emphasizes Martim Caetano, considering that if “there is no support reinforcement, it may happen that some close doors, as happened in the past during other crises.”
Currently, the CMP is preparing a national file to corroborate the “need for immediate financial support, within what are immediate needs, to avoid stopping the most financially needy philharmonic bands.”
“This national dossier involves compiling a statement of the immediate financial needs of the music bands, who will be contacted individually until the end of next week,” he said.
The document will then be presented to various public entities, including the Government, and various patronage entities, “to obtain extraordinary financial support, precisely to meet these extraordinary financial needs, which result from the interruption of activity.” .
The president of Filarmónica União Taveirense, Filipe Teixeira, told the Lusa agency that, at this moment, the band “has already lost around 10,000 euros” in scheduled services for parties that will not take place.
“The amount should reach 15,000 euros, which is the amount that we usually spend in religious festivals every year,” said the leader of the Taveiro gang, in the municipality of Coimbra, which has an annual budget of the order of 50,000 euros. .
With 10,000 euros of annual support from the municipality of Coimbra, Filarmónica União Taveirense needs “30 to 35 thousand euros of income in activities that are not being carried out,” says Filipe Teixeira.
“We bet more on concerts than on religious festivals and several presentations were planned in the city of Coimbra, in association with the Chamber, which will not be performed or will be performed with a very low number of spectators, reducing the financial adjustment,” he stressed. . .
“Fortunately, we have a stable financial situation, as a result of the management of recent years, which allows us to maintain activity,” added Filipe Teixeira, who is also concerned about the impact at the artistic level, because the musicians “cannot do it. ” music together. “
At the Aurora Pedroguense Philharmonic Society, in Pedrógão Pequeno, in the municipality of Sertã, Castelo Branco district, the cancellation of popular and religious festivals will represent a drop in income of around 18 thousand euros, director Pedro Cordeiro told the agency Lusa.
“There are around 30 parties that we stopped doing, which greatly helped the sustainability of the band,” says the musician, pointing out the maintenance costs with the venue, the instruments and the payment to the director and teachers of the school of music.
With 42 active musicians, the band has, however, a subsidy from the Sertã City Council, which helps to maintain activity.
In Vila Nova de Anços, in the municipality of Soure, Coimbra district, in the Sociedade Filarmónica Recreativa e Beneficente Vilanovense, the loss of income also varies between 10 and 15 thousand euros.
“It is going to be an extremely difficult year. What we think was an extraordinary year, with around 25 departures, quickly turned into a nightmare,” reports Lusa Marta Santos, president of the collective’s leadership.
According to the director, the exits “represent a good part of the income” of the Philharmonic, which continues to have fixed expenses with “water, electricity and driver’s wages”, and without “incoming income”.
“For this year, we still have money to cover expenses, for the year that we will see,” he stressed.
The Sociedade Filarmónica Recreativa e Beneficente Vilanovense has 62 musicians and five music schools, attended by 50 students, which allows it to receive a scholarship from the Câmara de Soure.
In addition to the financial crisis caused by the covid-19 pandemic, CMP President Martim Caetano also highlights “artistic losses,” with the cancellation of face-to-face rehearsals and performances by bands and music schools.
Traveling entertainment companies cry out for government aid
The cancellation of parties and pilgrimages due to the pandemic also paralyzed national traveling entertainment companies, which have no means of subsistence, the president of the Portuguese Association of Entertainment Companies (APED) warned today.
Speaking to the Lusa agency, Francisco Bernardo emphasized that the sector is at risk of suffering a “very long” strike, probably for a year, with no other alternatives, which is why support measures for companies are being discussed with the government. .
“We wanted support conditions to be created, when these companies really need it,” said the leader, referring to the fact that there was already a meeting with the Secretary of State for Commerce, João Torres, since they are in danger of returning alone. to activity in the spring of 2021.
The president of APED, based in Pedrógão Grande, in the Leiria district, emphasizes that the sector brings together some 800 companies, most of them family members, “who actively depend on the organization and organization of these events. [festas, feiras e romarias]”
Francisco Bernardo points out that companies in the mobile entertainment sector “boost the economy”, contributing “actively with large amounts” to the municipalities, parish councils and party committees from the north to the south of the country, which are the promoters of the events to participate in
“Often, if it weren’t for our contributions, [os promotores] they would not have the financial capacity to organize these events and hire artists, decorators and fireworks, which people love to see, “he said.
“We are many families and we stimulate local businesses, with our consumption of food, fuel and even workshops, in addition to the fact that this same business will benefit from the surplus population that we attract at the time of the holidays,” he recalls.
Without being able to quantify the losses of the sector, which depends on many factors, including weather conditions and the event poster, Francisco Bernardo talks about the very high expenses already incurred by entrepreneurs with insurance and annual equipment and vehicle inspection certificates. transportation, in addition to Social Security and monthly accounting.
“We have tried to negotiate with insurance intermediaries, in an attempt to convince them that it was very important to support the sector to suspend the terms or the validity of the policies,” he said.
The businessman points out that the sector is in a position where it no longer enjoys the coverage of policies during the period when they are not active, which covers autumn and winter.
“An identical situation also occurs with annual inspection certificates for entertainment equipment, which many people have already paid for in January and will not enjoy now,” adds the APED president.
The association intends for the government to also pay attention to the single tax on the movement of vehicles for the transport of entertainment equipment, which will be stopped due to lack of activity.
“If we have no other source of income and we are stagnant, our income is nil. So how are we going to be able to pay these expenses,” asks Francisco Bernardo.
