Press release - Communication

Secretaria Regional das Finanças, Planeamento e Administração Pública

The Government of the Azores, through the Regional Secretariat for Finance, Planning and Public Administration and the Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructures, condemns the gross inaccuracy of the content of the Socialist Party's statement regarding an alleged "increase in costs with toll-free road in São Miguel" and clarifies the following:

1. There is no increase in costs with the toll-free road in São Miguel, nor any contractual changes to the concession agreement.

2. Following the various measures imposed in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the toll-free road concessionaire requested that an Arbitration Tribunal be set up, claiming losses of around €19.9 million, which were allegedly owed to it by the Region.

3. In the first instance, the Arbitration Tribunal, in a ruling dated October 2025, ordered the Region to compensate the concessionaire financially in the amount of €4 million, converting this financial compensation into an additional operating period in favour of the concessionaire.

4. The Regional Government, as is its right, appealed the decision to the Supreme Administrative Court, a case that is currently underway, maintaining its position that the Region will not have to pay any compensation to the concessionaire.

5. The amount stipulated in the proposed budget of the Autonomous Region of the Azores for 2026 is mandatory by law, namely the addition of four million Euros to the concession's outstanding liabilities, given the decision of the Arbitration Tribunal (which the Government of the Azores has appealed) and the necessary precaution to be taken should this financial compensation be paid.

As the largest opposition party, the Socialist Party should have been better prepared and informed before making inappropriate comments, including gross misinterpretations and misunderstandings of the law.