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Secretaria Regional das Finanças, Planeamento e Administração Pública
Public investment in 2025 surpasses 2019 figures by over €200 million, announces Duarte Freitas
Public investment in 2025 surpasses 2019 figures by over €200 million, announces Duarte Freitas
Secretaria Regional das Finanças, Planeamento e Administração Pública
RIAC awarded international quality certification
RIAC awarded international quality certification
Secretaria Regional das Finanças, Planeamento e Administração Pública
Applications open for Financial Instrument for Innovation and Competitiveness
Applications open for Financial Instrument for Innovation and Competitiveness
January 5, 2026
Public investment in 2025 surpasses 2019 figures by over €200 million, announces Duarte Freitas
December 30, 2025
RIAC awarded international quality certification
December 18, 2025
Applications open for Financial Instrument for Innovation and Competitiveness
News
Regional Directorate for Organisation, Planning and Public Employment
Regional Directorate for Entrepreneurship and Competitiveness
Regional Directorate for the Budget and Treasury
Regional Directorate for Planning and Structural Funds
Regional Administrative Inspectorate
RIAC – Agency for the Modernisation and Quality of Citizen Service, I.P.
Azores Regional Statistics Service
Nota de Imprensa
January 5, 2026
Public investment in 2025 surpasses 2019 figures by over €200 million, announces Duarte Freitas
The Regional Secretary for Finance, Planning and Public Administration, Duarte Freitas, highlighted today that regional public investment in 2025 reached "particularly significant levels," totalling €628.5 million, representing an increase of €208 million compared to 2019. At a press conference held in Ponta Delgada, the government official also stressed that the implementation rate of the 2025 Investment Plan stood at 76.2%, above the average recorded between 2012 and 2019. From an economic standpoint, Duarte Freitas mentioned the latest data released by the National Statistics Institute (INE), which puts the growth of the Azores' Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2024 at 2.3%, above the national average (2.1%), and on a convergence trajectory for the 2021-2024 period. The government official also pointed out that nominal GDP growth between 2012 and 2019 totalled €802.5 million (an annual average of €114.6 million), compared to €1,378.8 million between 2021 and 2024 (an annual average of €459.6 million). The Regional Secretary stated that the Region has inherited past liabilities, including debt in health and public companies such as SINAGA, SATA, Santa Catarina, and LOTAÇOR. Once these figures have been corrected, in fact, since 2021, debt has grown at an average annual rate lower than in the previous period: €157.1 million/year between 2021 and 2024, compared to €202.4 million/year between 2012 and 2020. "The GDP is growing at a rate four times higher, while debt is growing at a rate 25% lower," stated the Regional Secretary.
January 5, 2026
Public investment in 2025 surpasses 2019 figures by over €200 million, announces Duarte Freitas
The Regional Secretary for Finance, Planning and Public Administration, Duarte Freitas, highlighted today that regional public investment in 2025 reached "particularly significant levels," totalling €628.5 million, representing an increase of €208 million compared to 2019. At a press conference held in Ponta Delgada, the government official also stressed that the implementation rate of the 2025 Investment Plan stood at 76.2%, above the average recorded between 2012 and 2019. From an economic standpoint, Duarte Freitas mentioned the latest data released by the National Statistics Institute (INE), which puts the growth of the Azores' Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2024 at 2.3%, above the national average (2.1%), and on a convergence trajectory for the 2021-2024 period. The government official also pointed out that nominal GDP growth between 2012 and 2019 totalled €802.5 million (an annual average of €114.6 million), compared to €1,378.8 million between 2021 and 2024 (an annual average of €459.6 million). The Regional Secretary stated that the Region has inherited past liabilities, including debt in health and public companies such as SINAGA, SATA, Santa Catarina, and LOTAÇOR. Once these figures have been corrected, in fact, since 2021, debt has grown at an average annual rate lower than in the previous period: €157.1 million/year between 2021 and 2024, compared to €202.4 million/year between 2012 and 2020. "The GDP is growing at a rate four times higher, while debt is growing at a rate 25% lower," stated the Regional Secretary.
Nota de Imprensa
December 30, 2025
RIAC awarded international quality certification
The Integrated Citizen Support Network (RIAC) has obtained ISO 9001:2015 certification for its Quality Management System (QMS). This recognition confirms that RIAC operates under strictly defined processes geared towards continuous improvement, with a view to providing a simpler, faster service that is closer to citizens and businesses. RIAC ensures the centralised provision of public services in the Region, providing a vast network of offices and digital channels that facilitate access to services from various government departments. With a mission focused on administrative simplification, the network serves as a facilitator of the interaction between citizens and the Regional Administration, centralising procedures and ensuring that the Azoreans can manage their affairs in an integrated manner. The certification covers the Regional Public Administration Contact Centre as well as the Content and Services Office. These units operate together to ensure high-quality, consistent multichannel service. While the Contact Centre responds to citizens via telephone and digital channels, the Content and Services Office coordinates and monitors procedures, ensuring the consistency of information, quality of processes and direct liaison with the various entities involved. The implementation of this international standard represents a milestone in the administrative modernisation of the Azores. ISO 9001:2015 requires risk-based management and organisational effectiveness, ensuring that RIAC has the necessary resilience to respond to highly demanding contexts and complex information flows. This level of quality aligns the Azorean network with European best practices in public management, raising the standard of institutional performance. As a fundamental link between the administration and the territory, RIAC certification is a driving force for cohesion, ensuring that services throughout the archipelago follow identical standards of excellence. This investment in standardising processes eliminates bureaucratic barriers. It also optimises the interaction between the public sector and the business community, ensuring that administrative responses promote economic and social activity in the Region. This step in consolidating the Quality Management System also prepares RIAC for the challenges of digital transition and technological innovation. In optimising internal coordination and data flows, the structure provides a solid foundation for integrated new digital services, ensuring that network modernisation is matched by constant monitoring of user satisfaction and response times through this privileged point of contact with citizens. As such, ISO 9001:2015 certification further underlines RIAC's commitment to the quality of service provided in the Autonomous Region of the Azores, ensuring increasingly efficient, transparent and strictly citizen-oriented service delivery.
December 30, 2025
RIAC awarded international quality certification
The Integrated Citizen Support Network (RIAC) has obtained ISO 9001:2015 certification for its Quality Management System (QMS). This recognition confirms that RIAC operates under strictly defined processes geared towards continuous improvement, with a view to providing a simpler, faster service that is closer to citizens and businesses. RIAC ensures the centralised provision of public services in the Region, providing a vast network of offices and digital channels that facilitate access to services from various government departments. With a mission focused on administrative simplification, the network serves as a facilitator of the interaction between citizens and the Regional Administration, centralising procedures and ensuring that the Azoreans can manage their affairs in an integrated manner. The certification covers the Regional Public Administration Contact Centre as well as the Content and Services Office. These units operate together to ensure high-quality, consistent multichannel service. While the Contact Centre responds to citizens via telephone and digital channels, the Content and Services Office coordinates and monitors procedures, ensuring the consistency of information, quality of processes and direct liaison with the various entities involved. The implementation of this international standard represents a milestone in the administrative modernisation of the Azores. ISO 9001:2015 requires risk-based management and organisational effectiveness, ensuring that RIAC has the necessary resilience to respond to highly demanding contexts and complex information flows. This level of quality aligns the Azorean network with European best practices in public management, raising the standard of institutional performance. As a fundamental link between the administration and the territory, RIAC certification is a driving force for cohesion, ensuring that services throughout the archipelago follow identical standards of excellence. This investment in standardising processes eliminates bureaucratic barriers. It also optimises the interaction between the public sector and the business community, ensuring that administrative responses promote economic and social activity in the Region. This step in consolidating the Quality Management System also prepares RIAC for the challenges of digital transition and technological innovation. In optimising internal coordination and data flows, the structure provides a solid foundation for integrated new digital services, ensuring that network modernisation is matched by constant monitoring of user satisfaction and response times through this privileged point of contact with citizens. As such, ISO 9001:2015 certification further underlines RIAC's commitment to the quality of service provided in the Autonomous Region of the Azores, ensuring increasingly efficient, transparent and strictly citizen-oriented service delivery.