Regional Government reprogrammes RRP and boosts Solenerge funding by 41 million Euros, announces Duarte Freitas - Communication

Secretaria Regional das Finanças, Planeamento e Administração Pública

The Regional Secretary for Finance, Planning and Public Administration announced today that the Portuguese State is conducting a reprogramming operation, due to be submitted to the European Commission later this month. This process will make the necessary adjustments to maintain the path towards meeting the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) goals.

As far as the Azores are concerned, Duarte Freitas noted that this adjustment requires the reprogramming of 75.6 million Euros to use 100% of the funds available.

This reprogramming operation includes the 41 million Euro increase in the available funding for the Solenerge programme, rising from 19 million Euros to 60 million Euros to respond to the measure's success.

This reprogramming also provides for an increase of 22 million Euros for the health area: 13.1 million Euros for the construction of new health units in Maia and Livramento, and the improvement of the health centres in Povoação and São Roque do Pico; 4.8 million euros for the purchase of nine ambulances and 95 vehicles for home support; 4.8 million Euros for the improvement of the Azores Health Line.

This reprogramming also includes one million Euros to purchase three tanker vehicles and one emergency vehicle, 2.9 million Euros to boost agricultural projects, 4.4 million Euros to increase social responses and 3.6 million Euros for new modules for the research vessel.

"Labour shortages, rising costs of materials and labour, and difficulties in public procurement cannot mean that the Region risks losing these funds. For this reason, the Regional Government has presented these reprogramming proposals to the Recovering Portugal Task Force, which will negotiate with the European Commission," stated Duarte Freitas.