Bruno Silva, president of the Portuguese Association of Parents and Friends of Mentally Disabled Citizens (APPACDM) in Braga, confessed that the institution has no money to pay March salaries, because APPACDM’s accounts were seized by Social Security.
The president also added that the institution will even have to close, for an indefinite period, the six activity centers (CACI), three of which are located in Braga and others in Vila Nova de Famalicão, Vila Verde and Esposende.
“We had a verbal agreement to put together a plan to pay our debts to Social Security, but we were surprised by the seizures that left us with no money for anything”, said Bruno Silva, who has led APPACDM since February 2024.
According to the president of the institution, the debts to Social Security amounting to more than 530 thousand euros are at stake, resulting from “successive failures” by the previous management.
APPACDM in Braga has a total of 167 workers, which translates into a monthly wage bill of 220 thousand euros. The institution, which in addition to the six CACI also has three residential homes, serves 262 users.
Bruno Silva also stressed that homes will remain open for now, because users are “totally dependent” on these services. However, the president warns that, if the accounts are not unblocked quickly”, APPACDM in Braga will have to move towards closure, because suppliers, particularly in the food sector, threaten to “turn off the tap” to the institution.
