Regional Government promotes modernisation of local government with 3.5 million Euros in funding - Communication

Vice-Presidência do Governo Regional

The Vice-Presidency of the Regional Government, through the Regional Directorate for Communications and Digital Transition, will allocate €3.5 million in financial support to 13 municipalities and the Association of Municipalities of the Autonomous Region of the Azores (AMRAA) under the SIMA + Local programme.

This initiative falls within the regional strategy for the digital transition and the improvement of public service efficiency, covering, in this case, Azorean municipalities and parish councils.

SIMA + Local aims to promote the empowerment of regional authorities through technological solutions that will improve the quality of services provided to Azorean citizens and companies, ensuring greater proximity, accessibility, and transparency.

The support granted amounts to 3,527,218.32 million Euros, excluding VAT, and corresponds to 100% of the eligible investment. It is intended for the applications now approved by AMRAA and the municipalities of Corvo, Lagoa, Lajes do Pico, Madalena, Nordeste, Ponta Delgada, Praia da Vitória, Ribeira Grande, Santa Cruz das Flores, São Roque do Pico, Velas, Vila do Porto and Vila Franca do Campo.

This will ensure support for the implementation of structural projects in the areas of information system interoperability, information security, cybersecurity, process automation, and digital training for human resources.

For the Vice-President of the Regional Government, Artur Lima, this investment "reiterates  the Regional Government's commitment to a modern, efficient, and citizen-centred public administration."

"The empowerment of Azorean municipalities and parishes is crucial at a time of global technological disruption," stated Artur Lima.

"Local authorities work closely with the population. Promoting their administrative modernisation brings added value to the daily lives of all Azoreans and the economic fabric of the Region," he stressed.

This support line also "strengthens territorial cohesion and reduces disparities in the Azores," concluded the Vice-President of the Government.

The initiative is funded through the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) under the "Modernisation and Digital Transformation of Regional Public Administration" investment (C19-i06-RAA). It represents a decisive step in the digital transformation of local governance in the Azores.