Media and news Regional Government of the Azores - Communication

Nota de Imprensa
January 30, 2025
Azores Brand marks ten years of remarkable growth with launch of new portal
The Azores Brand, established on January 30, 2015, is celebrating its 10th anniversary with the launch of a new portal, which will pursue the ultimate goal of being a driving force for the Region's internal and external promotion. Celebrating the 10th anniversary of this project, the Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Food, through the Azores Brand Management and Promotion Office, is launching a new online portal, available at www.marcaacores.pt. It is a new, more versatile tool with greater dynamics and several automated features that simplify, speed up and boost the efficiency of processes for member companies. It also provides visitors with quick and easy access to information on about 7,500 Azores brand-certified products. Based on these assumptions, the Azores Brand has always been based on certification of origin. It is regulated by  Regional Legislative Decree no. 22/2016/A of October 26, which establishes the regulations on the use of the seal, applications to the membership system, the criteria for determining regional incorporation for products and services, the criteria for the membership of establishments with catering and beverage activities, tourist resorts providing catering services and the administrative offence rules. The Azores Brand has seen remarkable growth over the last ten years with the certification of 7,489 products, services and establishments, corresponding to an average annual increase of 46.44% in new Azores Brand - Certified by Nature seals. There are currently 307 companies, with an average annual growth of 25.41% in the last ten years. In addition to membership, the Azores Brand project has been marked by the development of numerous activities which, in an integrated and coherent manner, target different audiences and markets. Since 2015, the Azores Brand's activity has been guided by investment in various forms of communication and promotion, namely communication through social media and audiovisuals, the promotion of brand activation events, the establishment of new commercial and institutional partnerships or participation in fairs, whether exclusively professional or aimed end consumers, thus opening up new business avenues for member companies. Over the last 10 years, the Azores Brand has organised more than 90 actions with regional and national retailers and more than 40 brand activations in Mainland Portugal. Alongside the activities developed, the Azores Brand Management and Promotion Office carried out more than 130 technical visits to member companies to verify compliance with the legal rules on the use of the Azores Brand seal and also invest in more proximity with member companies.  The Azores Brand project, which is currently under the responsibility of the Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Food, has included numerous aspects of brand promotion and communication. The new portal is another example of this commitment, which is being shaped by market needs and opportunities, always following trends with a view to increasing the value of certified products, services and establishments.

Nota de Imprensa
January 30, 2025
mySaúde Azores is third most downloaded application in its category in Portugal
The mySaúde Açores app, presented on Tuesday by the Secretary for Health and Social Security, Mónica Seidi, is already the third most downloaded app in the "Health and Fitness" category in Portugal via the Apple Store. "In less than 48 hours, we are already nearing two thousand registrations, we are close to 1,800 registered users. We have more than six thousand hits, demonstrating people's interest in this tool," stressed Mónica Seidi. She continued: "These figures bring us great satisfaction. Registration is always possible via the mysaude.azores.gov address, both on a computer and on a mobile phone, so the fact that we are still waiting for the Play Store to update does not prevent anyone from registering." The project includes a mobile phone application and a portal accessible to all users. It falls within the Digital Hospital project, an initiative funded under the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP). In this first phase, mySaúde Açores is aimed at Primary Health Care and allows easy access to user data at any time and place. Users can request and book consultations and also have the possibility of teleconsultations, avoiding unnecessary trips to health centres.

Nota de Imprensa
January 29, 2025
António Ventura highlights Regional Government's investments in agricultural and forest roads in São Miguel
The Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Food, António Ventura, highlighted today that the Regional Government's investment in agricultural and forest roads in São Miguel will amount to more than two million Euros in 2025. He also stressed the role of IROA S.A. in this regard and the coordination with the local agricultural association and the Island Council. "The Regional Government has created a specific action in the 2025 Plan with an allocation of two million euros for roads in São Miguel," stressed the government official, who visited the Saramento road in the parish of São Vicente Ferreira, Ponta Delgada, this morning. Acknowledging the ‘state of degradation’ of some roads as a result of the previous administration and the many periods of bad weather on the island, António Ventura pointed out that the investment in roads on the Island of São Miguel rose 68% in the four-year comparison between 2017-2020 and 2021-2024, i.e from to 1.9 million to 3.4 million Euros. However, he warned that "more needs to be done." In this regard, IROA- Regional Institute of Agrarian Planning is a partner in this "endeavour" with a budget of 7.2 million Euros for "roads and electrification," the "largest investment" in more than a decade and a half in this area.

Nota de Imprensa
January 29, 2025
Regional Government and Turismo de Portugal promote migrant training to fill labour shortages in the sector
The Regional Government, through the Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructures and the Regional Secretariat for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities, will promote the training of migrants in the areas of Culinary, Confectionary and Restaurant Bar with Turismo de Portugal (national tourism authority). The aim is to fill the labour shortage in the tourism sector. The process was carried out with AVEA -Association for the Economic Promotion of the Azores and will initially involve 15 trainees. This is an investment supported by Turismo de Portugal amounting to 70,700.00 Euros. It is part of the Training and Integration Programme for Migrants in the Tourism Sector. This initiative stems from a partnership between Turismo de Portugal, through the Hospitality and Tourism Schools Network, the Migration and Asylum Integration Agency (AIMA) and the Portuguese Tourism Confederation (CTP). It intends to develop training/employment programmes for the accommodation, qualification and professional integration of migrants and beneficiaries of international protection in Portugal. In addition to training migrants, the programme includes actions aimed at business professionals to maximise the success of integration. Training will be provided by the 12 Tourism Schools in Portugal and, in the case of the Azores, it will take place at the Tourism and Hospitality School. This programme is a tool to respond to the challenges of talent and migratory movements. This partnership between Turismo de Portugal, the Migration and Asylum Integration Agency (AIMA) and the Portuguese Tourism Confederation (CTP) aims to develop training/employment programmes for the accommodation, qualification and professional integration of migrants and beneficiaries of international protection in Portugal. This training lasts three months, followed by a one-month intenship at a company, totalling 160 hours. One thousand migrants are participating in the same training nationwide. All those interested should have their situation legalised and present a residence permit, identification document, Tax Identification Number, Social Security Identification Number and IBAN under their name.

Nota de Imprensa
January 28, 2025
mySaúde Azores app and portal now accessible to the entire population
The first features of mySaúdeAçores are now available to all users in the Autonomous Region of the Azores. The Regional Secretary for Health and Social Security, Mónica Seidi, presented today the first features of mySaúde Açores to the entire population, following the end of the testing phase in December. The project includes a mobile phone application and a portal accessible to all users. It is part of the Digital Hospital, an initiative funded under the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP). In this first phase, mySaúde Açores is aimed at Primary Health Care and provides easy access to user data at any time and place. Users can request and book appointments and have the possibility of a teleconsultation, avoiding unnecessary trips to health centres. The project was launched today in Velas, a choice that was not coincidental, explained Mónica Seidi. "It was essential to launch it on an island without a hospital, where health centres are the first point of contact for users, as, in this first phase, this is where our focus is. We are focused on Primary Health Care. This will simplify access to scheduling consultations as well as accessing personal data and teleconsultations, bringing comfort to users as they will no longer have to leave their home while reinforcing proximity care," she stressed. This is a dynamic project that will bring new features over time. It can be accessed by mobile phone, downloading the mySaúde Açores application via the AppStore (iOS) or PlayStore (Android), or from a computer via the mysaude.azores.gov.pt address. Registration is completed by entering the health user and mobile phone numbers associated with the process. After receiving confirmation that the account has been validated, users will have access to its first features and the updates to be introduced over time. The Regional Secretary for Health also highlighted the "possibility to have more than one user associated with the telephone number to manage consultations for parents, grandparents, children or anyone else" in the users' care. In aggregating data from regional public health units, allowing access for both users and health professionals, mySaúde Açores creates a network that minimises the impact of the geographical dispersion of the archipelago. It also brings together the Regional Health Service into a more efficient unit capable of communicating amongst itself. According to Mónica Seidi, the launch of the first phase of mySaúdeAçores "is a decisive moment in the implementation" of a pioneering project in the Region. This project, developed with the Siemens Healthineers partnership, is part of a wide-ranging plan to modernise the Regional Health Service, comprising several phases. It is mainly intended to connect the Health Units of the nine islands, their professionals and users, ‘’promoting equality, proximity and efficiency in health care provision."

Nota de Imprensa
January 27, 2025
Regional Government moves forward with reconstruction of wall affected by bad weather on Santa Maria Island
The Regional Government, through the Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructures, has awarded the works contract for the reconstruction of the Praia Formosa wall, Santa Maria Island, which was affected by an instability event. Bad weather caused a 30-metre section of the road to collapse, requiring the restoration of safety conditions at the site. The services of the Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructures, through the Regional Directorate for Public Works, surveyed current needs and drew up the respective implementation project. The inspection of the affected area revealed that the instability occurred in an area subject to considerable excavation near the walls' foundations. This resulted in landslides that eventually caused the walls to collapse. Representing a global investment of 147,890.15 Euros, the work was awarded to the contractor André Oliveira, Sociedade Unipessoal, Lda. The wall will be rebuilt in the affected section, using a cyclopean concrete gravity wall solution for land containment. The stone guard wall will also be rebuilt. The back of the wall will be filled in using a backfill of compacted lapilli, which will also serve as the base layer for the replacement of the concrete pavement and the bituminous pavement of the parking area. Some areas near the affected section will also be filled with concrete.

Nota de Imprensa
January 27, 2025
Young Azoreans with more summer occupation opportunities and increased support under OTLJ
Starting this year, young people participating in a project under the Youth Free Time Occupation Programme - OTLJ will have access to a new summer occupation sub-programme and benefit from increased support. The rules of the "new" OTLJ programme were published today in the Official Journal. They are the result of a commitment made by the Regional Government, through the Regional Secretariat for Youth, Housing and Employment, to adapt a programme to the current demands of young people that was last reformulated in 2010 and whose rules had not been revised for seven years. OTLJ includes a new sub-programme, "Summer in Occupation.' Young people aged between 16 and 24 enrolled in secondary, vocational or higher education can participate in an occupation project promoted by private companies, the social sector, the media and cooperatives. Occupation projects under this sub-programme run from July to August, for 35 working days, starting no later than the 5th working day of July, for a maximum of 20 hours a week, without exceeding 5 hours a day. Young people receive a grant of four Euros per hour, which could total 560 euros if they complete their entire occupation. "The creation of this sub-programme includes promoters previously excluded from OTLJ. It provides young people access to a greater diversity of projects to occupy themselves during the holidays, with benefits for vocational and academic screening and skill development," noted Maria João Carreiro. The Regional Secretary for Youth, Housing and Employment explains that ‘Summer in Occupation’ is also a ‘response to young people making their holidays an opportunity to obtain funding for their projects,’ such as trips and Erasmus experiences. The grant is tailored to these interests and discourages irregular occupation during this period. The grant awarded under the "Holiday Occupation," "Active Youth" and "Young Students" sub-programmes has also been increased from 2.5 Euros/hour to three Euros/hour, corresponding to a 20% increase in public investment in each young person.  Applications from young people and promoters for the four OTLJ sub-programmes will now be submitted between March and April each year, extending the application period from one to two months. In the case of "Young Students," applications can be submitted in two periods (September 1 to October 15 and December 1 to January 15). The length of the projects has been extended from four to five months as well as the occupation period (from November to May) and the recipients of this OTLJ sub-programme, which include young people enrolled in secondary, vocational and higher education.

Nota de Imprensa
January 26, 2025
Press release - Tax on Petroleum Products
In light of another unacceptable disinformation manoeuvre by the largest opposition party, the Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructures clarifies the following:  1) The Tax on Petroleum Products (ISP) revenue collected today is substantially lower than that collected during the Socialist government. In 2017, 2018 and 2019, under the last Socialist government, the ISP collected annually in the Region always exceeded 60 million Euros, even surpassing 65 million Euros. In the previous three years, under the PSD/CDS-PP/PPM coalition, the ISP collected ranged from 46.8 to 58.2 million Euros, despite the unprecedented growth of the Azorean economy.  2) Contrary to what the Socialist Party insinuates, the gas price increase from January 2025 was not the result of a change in fiscal policy or a tax increase. Rather, it resulted from the adoption of a new calculation formula on the recommendation of the Court of Auditors and the updating of price formation components that had not been updated for more than 20 years. This contradicted what had been established and agreed upon by the Region and its distributors. 3) The Socialist government repeatedly and consciously failed to honour agreements, contracts and recommendations by administratively freezing prices and failing to update the price formation components, creating a difficult situation for all distributors and resellers in the Region. It has also caused severe economic damage to hundreds of small traders, leading many of them to reduce or abandon their gas resale activity. This has created a situation where there is a serious threat of disruption to the gas supply, which this Government has managed to avoid.  4) This Government has not changed ISP rates; it has updated the logistical cost components of gas, which have been irresponsibly ignored until now. The Government has not sought to increase the Region's tax revenue but to ensure that there are economic conditions for companies and their primary and secondary distributors to supply gas to all Azoreans on all islands.  5) This Government has managed to ensure that a regular butane gas cylinder remains around five Euros below the price in Madeira and around 10 Euros below the price in Mainland Portugal, despite the growing complexity of our logistics and supply chain. The Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructures recalled that the tax policy adopted by the current coalition Government has restored the tax differential to the maximum allowed by law. It guarantees that VAT, Personal Income Tax and Corporate Income Tax rates are 30% lower than in Mainland Portugal, representing about 150 million Euros in the economy and families' disposable income, even in the face of the Socialist party's disagreement. Once again, we have seen an unfortunate moment on the part of Socialist leader Francisco César, who is either ill-informed or shows intellectual dishonesty. Either way, this does not lend credibility to him, his party or regional politics. What happened with the gas could have been extremely serious, especially for smaller islands. Only the diligent action of this Government prevented major consequences for the population that would have resulted from the irresponsibility of socialist governance for 20 years.