Lisbon almost lost the largest summit technology because of VAT – News up to the Minute (press release)

when Asked whether he got any sleep that night because of the application, the ex-Deputy secretary of State and the Economy said: “The last was perhaps the worst.”

The announcement that Lisbon had won was scheduled for September 23, in the morning, but on the eve, about 23:30, “the Tourism of Lisbon decided not to pay the TAX” an amount of Leonardo Mathias already do not remember.

“And this would represent still a relevant amount,” he explained, adding that at the time had “no direct connection” to the office.

“it Was an absolutely extraordinary João Cotrim de Figueiredo [at the time president of Turismo de Portugal] for the night out trying, on the one hand, to convince the Tourism of Lisbon, if all the intermediate bodies, paying VAT is that because they didn’t pay,” he continued.

But “the lord amuou” and stated that “not paid, not paid, not paid. Would not go from thence,” and it was necessary to resolve the deadlock.

alternatively, “we have tried between the Tourism of Portugal and AICEP find a way to mitigate: Lisbon does not pay that VAT had to be paid by the other” and “just at half past three in the morning I sent a SMS”, the deputy prime minister of the time, Paulo Portas, “to say: No problem, we have a signing tomorrow at 8:00,” continued Leonardo Mathias, who only slept a few horitas” that night.

“This evening had to not be the Web Summit because of a VAT for the Tourism of Lisbon, therefore, the absurdity is total”, he noted.

The situation was only resolved because the AICEP and Turismo de Portugal increased the appropriation.

But many more adventures have happened during the application process.

Leonardo Mathias has shared yet another story, one in which one day, in the middle of the proposal, received a phone call from comendador Rocha de Matos, in charge of the FIL, to say that someone was mistaken and given the wrong date of the completion of the Web Summit.

there Was a problem, between 07 and 10 November, was already scheduled in an exhibition car and the summit of the technology was scheduled for this date, but in 24 hours the matter was eventually resolved.

Another of the curiosities was when it was discovered that the Netherlands was accompanying step-by-step each proposal that Portugal did, which led to the communications between Paddy Cosgrave, president and founder of the Web Summit, and Leonardo Mathias would be made through the signal encrypted.

“That was one of my victories, I had files perhaps as, or more complicated, but it gave me a particular enjoyment with other, more strong, more wealthy, ‘soit-so-called’ [as they say] the best, and we won,” concluded Leonardo Mathias.