Government of the Azores advocates new approach in in regional strategy to fight poverty

Vice-Presidência do Governo Regional

The Vice-President of the Regional Government, Artur Lima, defended today a new approach in the regional strategy to fight poverty, so as to "safeguard the evolution of the times with the proliferation of crises, firstly with the pandemic, and now, with war and inflation."

The government official mentioned that, during the preparation of the strategy by several Government departments over the past year, it was necessary to increase the technical and scientific support for its revision, with a view to creating a "strategic and solid and instrument of reference that is consistent with the goals of this governance."

"With a view to improving the preliminary document that we have already drafted, we will sign a protocol with the Faculty of Economics and the Centre for Social Studies of the University of Coimbra," he said.

"We hope that the signing of this protocol may provide a new dynamic to the development of the regional strategy to fight poverty in the Region," stressed the Vice-President of the Regional Government of the Azores.

Artur Lima spoke at the signing ceremony of a cooperation protocol between the Autonomous Region of the Azores, the Faculty of Economics and the Centre for Social Studies of the University of Coimbra regarding the regional strategy to fight poverty and social exclusion.

"Despite the efforts that have been undertaken, adjusting and improving the strategy, poverty never ceased to be a priority. We have never stopped providing the responses that the most vulnerable Azoreans need," highlighted the Vice-President.

Artur Lima recalled the "structural measures" that have been adopted over the last two years. According to him, "they are the responses to poverty" in the Region, such as the exemption of childcare fees up to the 13th income bracket, the faster payment of the family allowance supplement, the adjustment of support programmes for higher education admittance to social dynamics, the scholarships to the most needy students and the support for tuition fees.

"In August, we granted additional support to beneficiaries of the social electricity tariff, COMPAMID and the family allowance supplement, so as to offset the effects of inflation. Next year, we are planning a substantial increase of social support, as I have already announced," he added.

For Artur Lima, "these and other measures demonstrate the responsible manner in which we have addressed, in the first half of this legislative period, poverty in our archipelago." In this regard, he added that this Government has delivered "visible achievements that safeguard the rights of Azorean citizens."