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Secretaria Regional das Finanças, Planeamento e Administração Pública
Duarte Freitas advocates budget adjustments with Azorean economy growing
Duarte Freitas advocates budget adjustments with Azorean economy growing
Secretaria Regional das Finanças, Planeamento e Administração Pública
Regional Government launches Digital Worker Card through gov.pt app
Regional Government launches Digital Worker Card through gov.pt app
Secretaria Regional das Finanças, Planeamento e Administração Pública
Regional Government launches "Incubation Voucher"
Regional Government launches "Incubation Voucher"
September 9, 2025
Duarte Freitas advocates budget adjustments with Azorean economy growing
August 5, 2025
Regional Government launches Digital Worker Card through gov.pt app
July 17, 2025
Regional Government launches "Incubation Voucher"
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
September 9, 2025
Duarte Freitas advocates budget adjustments with Azorean economy growing
The Regional Secretary for Finance, Planning and Public Administration, Duarte Freitas, defended today at the Azorean Parliament a "prudent financial policy that maintains low taxes" as a mechanism to stimulate economic growth, while ensuring balanced accounts and investment capacity. Duarte Freitas acknowledged that the "current situation is paradoxical," with “historic” indicators but "also with a huge challenge in terms of budget sustainability." He noted: "It is precisely now that we must take action, as the worst mistake would be to wait for stagnation or crisis to redress imbalances. We cannot waste this opportunity. It is time to make budget adjustments while the economy is growing." "I can announce here that the 14th Regional Government will present, within a maximum period of one month, a savings plan with a series of measures that will result, as early as 2026, in savings in the Regional Budget amounting to more than 30 million Euros," he said, speaking at the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores. These include measures such as a 20% reduction in office and consultancy expenses or an equal percentage reduction in travel and accommodation, studies and reports, seminars and exhibitions. "This plan also includes measures to effectively maximise regional assets, which are expected to generate an impact of over two million euros by 2026," he added. "The total amount of main taxes rose from around 541 million Euros in 2019 to 681 million Euros in 2024, an increase of 26%,” he explained. In the second quarter of 2025, the unemployment rate reached "a historic low of 3.9%," the best figure since 2007, while in 2024, 4.39 million overnight stays in tourism were registered, "a 45% increase, and 188 million Euros in revenue, 80% more than five years ago." He continued: "Although the update of the statistical series has postponed this goal by one year, in 2025, the Region will exceed the 6 billion-Euro GDP mark, something unthinkable just a few years ago. In 2019, it stood at 4.349 million Euros, according to the same statistical basis as the 2021 series. These figures prove that the economy is generating wealth, income and consumption. The Azorean economy is stronger than ever. This is due to the efforts and success of businesses and families. Duarte Freitas highlighted several measures implemented by the PSD/CDS-PP/PPM coalition governments that had a clearly positive impact on Azorean citizens. He specifically mentioned "tax cuts that removed hundreds of millions of Euros from the region's treasury," but emphasised that these cuts "restored and stimulated income for families and businesses." The government official also highlighted the success of the “Azores Fare,” which has led to an investment of 13.5 million Euros this year, when it was initially estimated to cost six million Euros. Meanwhile, he noted that increased funding for health and education enabled the payment of teachers' seniority entitlements and the revaluation of health careers. “These are the achievements of this Government, delivering justice that was previously denied. In education, transfers grew by 45% between 2019 and 2025, while in health, they grew by around 80%. Salary increases between 2024 and 2025 represent more than 52 million Euros, including 32 million Euros for the teaching career. All of this, naturally, puts pressure on the Regional Budget," he said.
September 9, 2025
Duarte Freitas advocates budget adjustments with Azorean economy growing
The Regional Secretary for Finance, Planning and Public Administration, Duarte Freitas, defended today at the Azorean Parliament a "prudent financial policy that maintains low taxes" as a mechanism to stimulate economic growth, while ensuring balanced accounts and investment capacity. Duarte Freitas acknowledged that the "current situation is paradoxical," with “historic” indicators but "also with a huge challenge in terms of budget sustainability." He noted: "It is precisely now that we must take action, as the worst mistake would be to wait for stagnation or crisis to redress imbalances. We cannot waste this opportunity. It is time to make budget adjustments while the economy is growing." "I can announce here that the 14th Regional Government will present, within a maximum period of one month, a savings plan with a series of measures that will result, as early as 2026, in savings in the Regional Budget amounting to more than 30 million Euros," he said, speaking at the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores. These include measures such as a 20% reduction in office and consultancy expenses or an equal percentage reduction in travel and accommodation, studies and reports, seminars and exhibitions. "This plan also includes measures to effectively maximise regional assets, which are expected to generate an impact of over two million euros by 2026," he added. "The total amount of main taxes rose from around 541 million Euros in 2019 to 681 million Euros in 2024, an increase of 26%,” he explained. In the second quarter of 2025, the unemployment rate reached "a historic low of 3.9%," the best figure since 2007, while in 2024, 4.39 million overnight stays in tourism were registered, "a 45% increase, and 188 million Euros in revenue, 80% more than five years ago." He continued: "Although the update of the statistical series has postponed this goal by one year, in 2025, the Region will exceed the 6 billion-Euro GDP mark, something unthinkable just a few years ago. In 2019, it stood at 4.349 million Euros, according to the same statistical basis as the 2021 series. These figures prove that the economy is generating wealth, income and consumption. The Azorean economy is stronger than ever. This is due to the efforts and success of businesses and families. Duarte Freitas highlighted several measures implemented by the PSD/CDS-PP/PPM coalition governments that had a clearly positive impact on Azorean citizens. He specifically mentioned "tax cuts that removed hundreds of millions of Euros from the region's treasury," but emphasised that these cuts "restored and stimulated income for families and businesses." The government official also highlighted the success of the “Azores Fare,” which has led to an investment of 13.5 million Euros this year, when it was initially estimated to cost six million Euros. Meanwhile, he noted that increased funding for health and education enabled the payment of teachers' seniority entitlements and the revaluation of health careers. “These are the achievements of this Government, delivering justice that was previously denied. In education, transfers grew by 45% between 2019 and 2025, while in health, they grew by around 80%. Salary increases between 2024 and 2025 represent more than 52 million Euros, including 32 million Euros for the teaching career. All of this, naturally, puts pressure on the Regional Budget," he said.
Nota de Imprensa
August 5, 2025
Regional Government launches Digital Worker Card through gov.pt app
The Autonomous Region of the Azores has taken another decisive step towards modernising its public administration with the creation of the Digital Professional Identification Card, accessible via the gov.pt application. This new feature, implemented by the Regional Secretariat for Finance, Planning and Public Administration, enables all Regional Public Administration managers and employees to securely and reliably access a legally valid professional identification document on their mobile phones. The Digital Card, issued based on information stored in the SIGRHARA system — the Regional Administration's human resources data repository — contains the employee's main professional data and is accessible through the gov.pt application, a national platform provided by the Agency for Administrative Modernisation (AMA). The Digital Card, issued based on information stored in the SIGRHARA system — the Regional Administration's human resources data repository — contains the employee's main professional data and is accessible through the gov.pt application, a national platform provided by the Agency for Administrative Modernisation (AMA). The gov.pt app currently provides 27 legally valid digital cards, including documents such as the Citizen Card, Driving Licence and Car Insurance. The app aims to centralise access to digital public documents and services, using a simple, secure, and efficient platform. With more than 3.5 million downloads, the app has established itself as an essential pillar in administrative modernisation, bringing public services closer to citizens while contributing to a more digital and accessible public administration. The integration of the Digital Professional Identification Card into the gov.pt app is a measure co-financed by Component 19 of the Azores Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP-Azores), as part of investments in the modernisation and digital transition of the Regional Public Administration. The initiative is part of the Regional Government's strategy to enhance digital transformation, improve public service efficiency, and streamline administration, positioning the region as a leader in public sector innovation. For further information about the RRP, visit recuperarportugal.gov.pt.
August 5, 2025
Regional Government launches Digital Worker Card through gov.pt app
The Autonomous Region of the Azores has taken another decisive step towards modernising its public administration with the creation of the Digital Professional Identification Card, accessible via the gov.pt application. This new feature, implemented by the Regional Secretariat for Finance, Planning and Public Administration, enables all Regional Public Administration managers and employees to securely and reliably access a legally valid professional identification document on their mobile phones. The Digital Card, issued based on information stored in the SIGRHARA system — the Regional Administration's human resources data repository — contains the employee's main professional data and is accessible through the gov.pt application, a national platform provided by the Agency for Administrative Modernisation (AMA). The Digital Card, issued based on information stored in the SIGRHARA system — the Regional Administration's human resources data repository — contains the employee's main professional data and is accessible through the gov.pt application, a national platform provided by the Agency for Administrative Modernisation (AMA). The gov.pt app currently provides 27 legally valid digital cards, including documents such as the Citizen Card, Driving Licence and Car Insurance. The app aims to centralise access to digital public documents and services, using a simple, secure, and efficient platform. With more than 3.5 million downloads, the app has established itself as an essential pillar in administrative modernisation, bringing public services closer to citizens while contributing to a more digital and accessible public administration. The integration of the Digital Professional Identification Card into the gov.pt app is a measure co-financed by Component 19 of the Azores Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP-Azores), as part of investments in the modernisation and digital transition of the Regional Public Administration. The initiative is part of the Regional Government's strategy to enhance digital transformation, improve public service efficiency, and streamline administration, positioning the region as a leader in public sector innovation. For further information about the RRP, visit recuperarportugal.gov.pt.