Proposed Plan and Budget for 2026 focused on RRP and Azores 2030 implementation
Horta
Secretaria Regional das Finanças, Planeamento e Administração Pública
The Regional Secretary for Finance, Planning and Public Administration, Duarte Freitas, stressed today that the budget documents for 2026 are based on compliance with the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) and the implementation of the Azores 2030 Community Framework.
"The requirement to complete the RRP is brutal. The n+3 rule also requires that the projects chosen for 2026, within the scope of the 2030 programme, have the necessary level of maturity to guarantee their implementation," stressed the government official.
"It is not a matter of political choices, it is a question of institutional obligation for the Azores and, also, for Portugal," he continued.
Duarte Freitas, accompanied by the Regional Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities, Paulo Estêvão, presented the proposal for the 2026 Plan and Budget to the President of the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores, Luís Garcia.
The macroeconomic scenario estimates an inflation rate of 2% for 2026. The debt limit was reduced from €150 million to €75 million between the preliminary proposal and the final proposal, as the State Budget for 2026 forecasts an increase in additional transfers.
After being presented today to the President of the Assembly, the proposals will be sent to the Specialised Standing Committees of the Regional Assembly, with hearings for members of the Azorean Government scheduled for November 6 and 7.
The general debate will take place in the November Plenary Session, scheduled to begin on November 24.
