Social Mobility Aid is "structural instrument for territorial cohesion," stresses Berta Cabral - Communication

Secretaria Regional do Turismo, Mobilidade e Infraestruturas

The Regional Secretary for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructures, Berta Cabral, stressed today at the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores that the Social Mobility Aid "is not an ancillary benefit," but rather a "structural instrument for territorial cohesion, equal opportunities and full citizenship in Autonomous Regions."

The government official spoke during the debate on the Regional Government's draft bill to repeal the new criteria for accessing the mobility aid. 

In this regard, Berta Cabral was categorical: "By making the payment of the aid conditional on the absence of debts to the Tax Authority and Social Security, the State has come to consider mobility as a conditional privilege — when it is, in fact, a structural right. We cannot accept that access to fair airfares should depend on citizens' tax situation. This is not social justice. This is not territorial cohesion. This is not equality among Portuguese citizens.”

The Regional Government’s draft bill, she explained, is “clear, simple and legally sound.”

“The Social Mobility Aid should be paid to all beneficiaries, regardless of their tax and social security contribution status. Furthermore, no regulatory provision can contradict this principle. We are talking about a mechanism that exists precisely to remedy structural inequalities, not to aggravate them,” she continued.

Berta Cabral also emphasised that this is not a matter of "technical divergence" but a "fundamental political issue."

She added: "Either the State recognises the specific situation of the Autonomous Regions consistently, or it will continue to legislate from a centralised perspective that ignores the reality of the outermost regions."

The introduction of amendments to the Social Mobility Aid, which was recently initiated, "has not been without situations that cause perplexity and complicate acceptance by the people," she added. The government official reiterated that the Azorean Government "has been quite vocal in its opposition to several of these amendments, such as the imposition of a maximum limit of 600 Euros" and the aforementioned need to verify the contributory and tax situation of beneficiaries.

“Faced with surprise at this imposition, the Regional Government made its views known through the appropriate formal channels, but also publicly, taking a strong stance against it and even pointing out legal contradictions between pieces of legislation. We acknowledge that there have been some positive developments in the Social Mobility Aid process, such as the streamlining of reimbursements through the new electronic platform entering into force this week, and the reduction of the maximum price payable by each Azorean to €119. However, this will not prevent us from seeking, by all means within our reach, to ensure fair treatment for Azoreans," stressed the Regional Secretary.

Berta Cabral also announced that the Regional Government has made the use of the Integrated Citizen Support Network - RIAC services available, alongside those of the Portuguese Postal Services - CTT and travel agencies, to provide support "to all those requiring assistance with registration and all interactions" concerning the future Social Mobility Aid platform and the completion of reimbursement requests."