Speech delivered by the President of the Government - Communication

Presidência do Governo Regional

Full text of the speech delivered today by the President of the Government, José Manuel Bolieiro, in Horta at the discussion of the Plan and Budget for 2024:

"We are coming to the end of three days of debate on the proposals for the Medium-Term Guidelines 2024-2028, the Annual Investment Plan and the Regional Budget for 2024, documents presented by the XIV Government of the Azores to this Legislative Assembly. They are decisive for the implementation and progressive fulfilment of the Programme of the XIV Government of the Azores approved here.

We believe that the vote on these documents will finally mark the beginning of a new period in the governance of the Azores. A period that proposes consistency and assertiveness in goals, followed by the prior definition and implementation of public policies with solid results.

This is a time that requires stability. Political stability that favours and promotes social stability and labour stability, which citizens, their institutions and their companies need to create wealth and paths for progress and development in the Azores.

Therefore, we are open to constructive dialogue with all the political forces and we will work, as we have already done, with those who are wiling to be part of the solution and who do not simply complain or create obstacles.

We will now begin a cycle of governance - 2024/2028 - which, considering the results of last February's elections, will continue, implementing commitments to the Azorean people based on five premises:

- A governance that prioritises people and families;

- A reformist, knowledgeable and experienced governance that will be effectively pursued;

- A governance of dialogue, capable of building the consensus required for the consistent implementation of the best public policies;

- A governance that promotes the qualification of citizens as a social lever, as a means of building a society where equal opportunities prevail;

- A governance that creates the conditions for strengthening the regional business fabric as a generator of wealth, which is the solid way of creating jobs and consolidating social stability.

The Region's institutional and cultural identity is an essential pillar of the cohesion and sustainable development we want for the Azores. It is of the utmost importance for its projection on the national and international scene.

Our strategic commitment was and is to guarantee the preservation of the distinctive values and characteristics of the Azores, which make us a unique and valuable Region, building a cultural citizenship for the sustainable development of an inclusive society.

Cultural identity is a valuable asset that contributes to the Region's differentiation in a globalised context, for sustainability.

For this reason, the preservation and promotion of our traditions, our art, our historical and natural heritage creates a distinctive image that can honour us, make young people proud and raise the feeling of belonging to our islands, attracting tourism and investment as well as increasing international interest that must be harnessed.

As a Region that shows solidarity and is capable of overcoming the challenges of contemporary societies is a priority that guides us in fighting against poverty and social exclusion while promoting the demographic rejuvenation of our islands.

This goal requires a strategic and interdisciplinary response, combining actions based on policies promoting access to health, education and employment.

We have taken on and fulfilled the promotion of social and territorial cohesion as a strategic goal, ensuring equal opportunities in inter-island mobility and in everything that guarantees social inclusion and the full exercise of citizenship.

For this reason, we have also taken action to promote transparency and modernisation in the Regional Public Administration, as an essential agent for promoting successful public social policies.

We will boost the proximity of health services by promoting, as part of a medium and long-term strategic vision, their development in terms of human and technical resources and facilities, thus improving their accessibility.

The promotion of young people's qualifications and inclusive training, adapted to the Region's productive specialisation, will be an important contribution to attracting and establishing young talent at a time when labour mobility is high and there are new trends in the way people work.

Responses in labour and employability intend to reduce job insecurity and integrate the unemployed and non-working population into the labour market.

Youth plays a key role in modernising the Azores and ensuring the sustainability of its social and economic development.

The XIV Government of the Azores has a holistic view of youth policies, which is reflected in the actions of its various departments.

We are counting on young people and their ability to innovate and participate to consolidate a fairer and more prosperous society.

The ambition to remain resilient and achieve higher levels of competitiveness and prosperity presupposes reinventing sectors of specialisation and competitive factors, investing in sustainable and differentiating internationalisation and attracting high value-added investment.

Science and technology are fundamental levers for the differentiated growth of the Azorean economy.

As such, synergies among companies, research and development centres, higher education and researchers at local, national and international levels will be strengthened.

We will promote the adoption of smart production processes in agriculture, the maritime sector, tourism, trade and industry, which are decisive for the competitiveness of our economy.

We will continue investing in the modernisation of the infrastructures supporting our internal and external links and connectivity, which are essential for the economic progress and our unity.

With a view to positioning the Region as a leader in sustainability and energy self-sufficiency, we will continue investing in renewable energy sources.

The Azorean economy has shown resilience and the capacity to transform itself. It is moving forward in the value chains of the productive economy, namely agriculture and fisheries, and investing in sectors with potential for future development such as services, namely tourism, and the creative green and blue economies and challenging space sector.

In a context marked by the growing relevance of sustainability on global political agendas, the Government of the Azores advoces the consistency of its strategic option for a sustainable and territorially cohesive Region.

We acknowledge the importance of preserving and enhancing the environment and existing resources, protecting natural and cultural heritage, and adapting to climate change for the cohesion and resilience of the territory.

We will pursue policies that will strengthen the resilience of ecosystems, particularly the most fragile ones such as lakes, streams, fajãs, hillsides and cliffs, so as to reduce the ecological footprint on the territory.

We will make every effort to promote policies that encourage sustainable agriculture and responsible fishing, thus helping to preserve biodiversity, protect terrestrial and marine habitats in the region, and ensure responsible and high-quality food production.

Tourism development in the Azores is also based on and depends on our environmental balance, and for this reason, it will have to respect this balance.

As a response to the challenges of connectivity and territorial cohesion faced by the Azores as an outermost and archipelago region, the improvement of the transport system and its infrastructures is a goal of the Azorean Government, which will be achieved while respecting the decarbonisation goals.

We regard housing as a strategic area for promoting territorial cohesion and social sustainability in the Region. 

With structuring investments, largely supported by the RRP, the Regional Government intends to become a benchmark in terms of housing policies, focused on the desire to turn them into tools of social empowerment and, through them, to fulfil a citizenship right.

The risks associated with the archipelago's volcanic nature and climate change require an investment in Civil Protection, which we will maintain, to ensure the mitigation of consequences and a swift response to emergencies.

Local government plays a decisive role in the Region's territorial development, which is why we must continue investing in its capability building to adjust to the current challenges of the local administration. 

We want to be a prestigious Region in Europe and the world, recognised for its uniqueness, quality of life and excellence in strategic areas such as tourism, sustainable agriculture, the economy of the sea, environmental conservation, renewable energy sources and technological innovation.

We want to present the Azores as an example of sustainable and innovative development, building strategic partnerships in the context of the European Union and the Atlantic area where we are based.

The growing projection of the Region on the European and world stage aims to place the Azores in a globally visible and relevant competitive centre.

External cooperation, economic and strategic diplomacy to attract external investment and strengthen global connections. These are essential elements for boosting the regional economy, projecting new pillars of development and stimulating traditional sectors to innovate.

The Azores can position themselves as an active player in international forum events, contributing to dialogue on global matters of interest to the Region.

We are a Region larger than our land geography and resident demography.

We have a population potential that must be measured across borders.

For this reason, we value our Diaspora, helping them to integrate into their host countries.

This is also why we welcome and integrate immigrants, who enrich us, with hospitality.

Implementing these strategic priorities requires responsibility and stability.

Responsibility requires the permanent adjustment of interests to possibilities.

Stability requires the practice of constructive dialogue that puts the interests of the Azoreans before partisan agendas.

We will continue along this path, making choices and listening to those willing to be part of governance solutions for the development of our land.

We build a socially and territorially cohesive society with responsibility and dialogue.

This is the context for our firm commitment to science and innovation, increasing our support for the tripartite structure of the University of the Azores, investing in TERINOV and NONAGON, and fostering economic cooperation and external investment.

We are focused on meeting the RRP targets and implementing Azores 2030, providing us with about 400 million Euros annually in European Union funds.

We will fulfil our commitment to promoting civil service careers by reducing the time needed to reach the top of the career ladder by 40% and increasing supplementary remuneration by 5%, from 1,386 Euros to 1,701 Euros.

Later this year, we will present to the Legislative Assembly a proposal for a new support system for the media, aimed at strengthening them and ensuring that they carry out their essential activities with total independence.

Educational success is a determining condition for the social and economic development of the Azores. For this reason, promoting it is our firm and determined choice, as reflected in the documents we have discussed here.

Our cultural agents can count on our support, which will seek to deepen the vibrancy of our artistic creation and preserve the cultural legacy we have received.

The practice of sport is essential for the healthy growth of children and young people and, as such, is a focus of the actions of the XIV Government of the Azores. It wants to see an increase in the number of people practising sport and create the conditions for the development of our training capacity, boosting the competitiveness of those who want to go down the path of competition.

The response to the fire at the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital (HDES) is a major challenge: to turn the old HDES into a new hospital, designed as a first-line hospital, but also to serve the future in a context of complementarity with other health units - health centres and hospitals - and with social and private sectors, whose usefulness this disaster has proven.

This vision confirms the investment options already made in the construction and maintenance of local health units and centers, as well as in the recovery, maintenance, and investment in hospitals. These efforts will significantly increase with the urgent refurbishment of the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital.

What matters should have already happened, but we will make it happen: drawing up an annual maintenance plan for HDES, the Santo Espírito Hospital of Terceira Island and the Horta Hospital, and also all the health units within the Regional Health Service.

Do things differently, so that the future does not create a legacy like the one we received.

Instead of abandonment and problems, we need conservation and solutions.

I would like to take this opportunity to share the information that this morning's Council of Ministers made a Resolution committing to an 85% contribution to the recovery of the HDES. It also approved a Decree-Law establishing exceptional public procurement measures related to the situation of public disaster already declared. 

We have maintained a firm commitment to social inclusion and citizenship, reinforcing actions and support in favour of those most vulnerable, namely people with disabilities, victims of violence, the elderly, and the fight against drug addiction and social exclusion.

Improving farmers' incomes is a goal that will continue to be fuelled by the actions of the Government of the Azores.

We will encourage young people to invest in agriculture by rewarding their installation and we will make investments in the construction of the São Jorge and Pico slaughterhouses, the São Miguel Milk Laboratory and the recovery of agricultural accessibility.

We will continue with the implementation of the Marine Protected Areas Network, which will allow us to meet the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals ahead of schedule. We also support the restructuring of the fishing fleet, making the exploitation of resources safer and more sustainable, and the modernisation of the sector with the system of incentives for the energy transition and digitisation of the fishing and aquaculture sectors.

The development of the blue economy also involves consolidating our Maritime School, which plays an important role in attracting young people to the sector and qualifying its professionals.

We are paying the utmost attention to the timely implementation of the investments financed under the RRP, whether aimed at energy transition or electric mobility, road networks or improvements to ports and airports. We remain steadfast in our commitment to the construction of the new Flores commercial port and, now, the refurbishment of the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital.

We are not giving up on our goal of having tourism all year round on all islands, neither are we giving up on compliance with public service obligations for air and maritime transport, which will meet the needs of our economic development and territorial cohesion.

We will implement the "Mais Jovem" package and step up the housing policy measures. They will provide a differentiated response to young people, who will thus be able to access housing at prices compatible with their income.

As far as housing is concerned, we will also have new responses for the middle class and the most disadvantaged.

I had so much to say. I would like to emphasise a few of the options, which ensure the following:

- The commitment to maintain the differential in VAT, Personal Income Tax and Corporate Income Tax rates;

- The maintenance of the "Azores Fare";

These are two examples that make a difference.

It is now the Parliament's responsibility to provide the Autonomous Region with the planning documents that are essential for the predictability and guidance of public investment in our development, under the terms of the Programme of the Government, which was approved here.

It is time to end the time of the twelfths system and begin a stable financial period, adapted to the needs and ambitions of our collective development as regards our economic resources.

Those responsible for the current twelfths system now have the opportunity to bring it to an end.

It is in the interests of the Azores and the Azoreans.

It is time to stop disrupting the path of progress planned and awaited by our workers in the autonomous regional public administration, our economy, our families, our young people, our elderly, our patients and our entrepreneurs.

Successes do not disturb those who are doing well. It only disturbs those whose jealousy is fuelled by the success of others.

Let us go into the future. With confidence."