The National Association of Portuguese Municipalities reiterated its support for ending the prior audit by the Court of Auditors for municipal contracts up to 10 million euros. The association was heard in parliament during the detailed examination of the government's bill on the organization of the Court of Auditors, considering that the measure will allow for accelerating municipal investment without compromising oversight.
ANMP president Pedro Pimpão stated that approximately 90% of contracts entered into by municipalities fall below the 10 million euro threshold, so the amendment covers the majority of procurement. According to the official, contracts above 950 thousand euros will continue to be reported to the Court of Auditors for evaluation and potential audit, ensuring that the rigor of procedures is not compromised.
ANMP considers that the measure represents a paradigm shift, with less focus on prior oversight and reinforcement of concomitant and subsequent oversight mechanisms. Pedro Pimpão highlighted that this could contribute to accelerating the execution of investments planned under Portugal 2030, following the effort made by local authorities in implementing the Recovery and Resilience Plan.
The president of the association also advocated for strengthening the technical and financial capacity of smaller municipalities and pointed to the revision of the Local Finance Law as an opportunity to improve conditions for the smallest municipalities. Pimpão also championed the existence of a dedicated structure for monitoring municipal procedures and argued that new legislation should be based on the principle of good faith among public decision-makers, without excluding accountability in cases of intent, gross negligence, or harmful management.
