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Secretaria Regional das Finanças, Planeamento e Administração Pública
Duarte Freitas highlights major transformation in regional public administration over recent decades
Duarte Freitas highlights major transformation in regional public administration over recent decades
Secretaria Regional das Finanças, Planeamento e Administração Pública
Regional Government commits to transparency and improves asset management with launch of Public Asset Portal
Regional Government commits to transparency and improves asset management with launch of Public Asset Portal
Secretaria Regional das Finanças, Planeamento e Administração Pública
Regional Government honours commitment to businesses
Regional Government honours commitment to businesses
July 8, 2026
Duarte Freitas highlights major transformation in regional public administration over recent decades
July 6, 2026
Regional Government commits to transparency and improves asset management with launch of Public Asset Portal
July 1, 2026
Regional Government honours commitment to businesses
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
July 8, 2026
Duarte Freitas highlights major transformation in regional public administration over recent decades
The Regional Secretary for Finance, Planning and Public Administration, Duarte Freitas, stated today that the Regional Government is undertaking a structural reform of the Regional Public Administration, based on the simplification of procedures, the upskilling of staff and technological modernisation, with a view to rendering public services faster, more transparent and more accessible to citizens and businesses. Speaking at the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores during the urgent debate on bureaucracy in the Regional Public Administration, the government official emphasised that the Government “does not underestimate the difficulties faced by citizens and businesses,” but rejected the idea that the Government is not addressing this challenge. “The fight against bureaucracy requires a consistent strategy, investment, organisational change and the capacity to transform the way the public administration works,” he stated. For Duarte Freitas, simplification means eliminating unnecessary procedures, reducing response times, avoiding duplication of documents and making interactions with the public administration clearer, more predictable and more efficient for citizens and businesses. The Regional Secretary defended that the ongoing transformation is based on a clear priority: “people first, then processes, and only then technology.” "The biggest mistake would be to think that making forms digital is enough to eliminate paperwork. Digitising complicated procedures merely creates digital red tape. We genuinely aim to simplify the public administration," he emphasised. Duarte Freitas highlighted that 557 training initiatives have been organised since 2021, involving more than 14,900 Regional Public Administration workers. In this regard, he noted that “a simpler administration begins with better-prepared staff, more capable managers and teams with the autonomy to improve processes.” The government official also recalled that the Government had approved the Regional Public Administration Rejuvenation Plan and launched the new Azores Public Employment Exchange, which has already received over 15,000 digital applications, paving the way for a generational renewal of public services. As for administrative reorganisation, Duarte Freitas highlighted the implementation of GIRA – the new Integrated Information Management System – which will help redesign internal processes, eliminate redundancies, reduce paper usage and increase transparency in administrative procedures. “Citizens do not want to know which department their case is with. They want to know whether it has been received, what stage it is at and when they can expect a response. This is what we are building,” he said. The Regional Secretary also highlighted the investment of €30.6 million, funded under the RRP-Azores, to accelerate the modernisation of the Regional Public Administration through the creation of new digital platforms, the LINKA technology architecture and the future Regional Public Administration Services Portal, which will provide citizens with a single point of contact with the Public Administration to follow up on their requests. According to Duarte Freitas, this transformation is also reaching front-line services through the upgrading of RIAC, the Regional Public Administration Contact Centre and the RIAC Móvel project, ensuring that digital transformation does not exclude those who still require in-person assistance. "Our commitment is to build a public administration that respects citizens’ time, businesses’ investment and the work of its professionals. We need a Public Administration that is simpler, more transparent, more efficient and closer to the people," he said. Acknowledging that there are still procedures that need to be simplified, Duarte Freitas defended that the difference lies in having a clear problem-solving strategy. “Modernisation is not about buying technology. Modernisation is about changing how the Public Administration thinks, makes decisions and serves the public. It is about transforming bureaucracy into trust and making the Public Administration a partner to citizens and businesses, rather than an obstacle,” he concluded.
July 8, 2026
Duarte Freitas highlights major transformation in regional public administration over recent decades
The Regional Secretary for Finance, Planning and Public Administration, Duarte Freitas, stated today that the Regional Government is undertaking a structural reform of the Regional Public Administration, based on the simplification of procedures, the upskilling of staff and technological modernisation, with a view to rendering public services faster, more transparent and more accessible to citizens and businesses. Speaking at the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores during the urgent debate on bureaucracy in the Regional Public Administration, the government official emphasised that the Government “does not underestimate the difficulties faced by citizens and businesses,” but rejected the idea that the Government is not addressing this challenge. “The fight against bureaucracy requires a consistent strategy, investment, organisational change and the capacity to transform the way the public administration works,” he stated. For Duarte Freitas, simplification means eliminating unnecessary procedures, reducing response times, avoiding duplication of documents and making interactions with the public administration clearer, more predictable and more efficient for citizens and businesses. The Regional Secretary defended that the ongoing transformation is based on a clear priority: “people first, then processes, and only then technology.” "The biggest mistake would be to think that making forms digital is enough to eliminate paperwork. Digitising complicated procedures merely creates digital red tape. We genuinely aim to simplify the public administration," he emphasised. Duarte Freitas highlighted that 557 training initiatives have been organised since 2021, involving more than 14,900 Regional Public Administration workers. In this regard, he noted that “a simpler administration begins with better-prepared staff, more capable managers and teams with the autonomy to improve processes.” The government official also recalled that the Government had approved the Regional Public Administration Rejuvenation Plan and launched the new Azores Public Employment Exchange, which has already received over 15,000 digital applications, paving the way for a generational renewal of public services. As for administrative reorganisation, Duarte Freitas highlighted the implementation of GIRA – the new Integrated Information Management System – which will help redesign internal processes, eliminate redundancies, reduce paper usage and increase transparency in administrative procedures. “Citizens do not want to know which department their case is with. They want to know whether it has been received, what stage it is at and when they can expect a response. This is what we are building,” he said. The Regional Secretary also highlighted the investment of €30.6 million, funded under the RRP-Azores, to accelerate the modernisation of the Regional Public Administration through the creation of new digital platforms, the LINKA technology architecture and the future Regional Public Administration Services Portal, which will provide citizens with a single point of contact with the Public Administration to follow up on their requests. According to Duarte Freitas, this transformation is also reaching front-line services through the upgrading of RIAC, the Regional Public Administration Contact Centre and the RIAC Móvel project, ensuring that digital transformation does not exclude those who still require in-person assistance. "Our commitment is to build a public administration that respects citizens’ time, businesses’ investment and the work of its professionals. We need a Public Administration that is simpler, more transparent, more efficient and closer to the people," he said. Acknowledging that there are still procedures that need to be simplified, Duarte Freitas defended that the difference lies in having a clear problem-solving strategy. “Modernisation is not about buying technology. Modernisation is about changing how the Public Administration thinks, makes decisions and serves the public. It is about transforming bureaucracy into trust and making the Public Administration a partner to citizens and businesses, rather than an obstacle,” he concluded.
Nota de Imprensa
July 6, 2026
Regional Government commits to transparency and improves asset management with launch of Public Asset Portal
The Regional Government of the Azores, through the Regional Secretariat for Finance, Planning and Public Administration, is implementing a new asset management model based on an integrated strategy to enhance the value of the Region’s assets and ensure their appropriate allocation to public policies. In this context, and following the publication of the new legislation setting out the rules governing the use and management of the property assets of the Autonomous Region of the Azores, as well as the management models applicable to property and vehicles subject to registration, the Public Asset Portal of the Autonomous Region of the Azores has been created. This new digital platform, developed as part of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) under the Modernisation and Digital Transition of the Regional Public Administration component, brings together, in a single point of access, all relevant information on the Region’s assets. As such, it will contribute to more efficient, transparent management based on updated data. As regards property assets, the Portal congregates information on properties in the Region, covering both the direct and indirect regional public administration, as well as the regional public business sector. With this platform, it is possible to ensure the identification, characterisation and ongoing updating of properties, a function reinforced by the property manager in each department, who will be responsible for the continuous maintenance and updating of property information. At the same time, the Portal helps to standardise procedures across the various departments of the Regional Public Administration through restricted access, thereby contributing to a more efficient, consistent and reliable management of the Region’s property assets. The Public Asset Portal also aims to collect information on vehicles in the Region that are subject to registration and, via a dedicated website, to enable shared and more efficient management of the public fleet, whilst also standardising procedures across the services of the Regional Public Administration. Overall, the Public Asset Portal aims to streamline and reduce response times for requests submitted by the Regional Public Administration departments and requests from citizens regarding property assets. The Public Asset Portal of the Autonomous Region of the Azores is currently in the early stages of development, with information being made available gradually and its content constantly updated. With this latest initiative, the Regional Government reiterates its commitment to administrative modernisation, transparency and efficiency in the management of public resources, whilst enhancing the assets of the Autonomous Region of the Azores. The Heritage Portal can be found at: http://patrimonio.servicos.azores.gov.pt.
July 6, 2026
Regional Government commits to transparency and improves asset management with launch of Public Asset Portal
The Regional Government of the Azores, through the Regional Secretariat for Finance, Planning and Public Administration, is implementing a new asset management model based on an integrated strategy to enhance the value of the Region’s assets and ensure their appropriate allocation to public policies. In this context, and following the publication of the new legislation setting out the rules governing the use and management of the property assets of the Autonomous Region of the Azores, as well as the management models applicable to property and vehicles subject to registration, the Public Asset Portal of the Autonomous Region of the Azores has been created. This new digital platform, developed as part of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) under the Modernisation and Digital Transition of the Regional Public Administration component, brings together, in a single point of access, all relevant information on the Region’s assets. As such, it will contribute to more efficient, transparent management based on updated data. As regards property assets, the Portal congregates information on properties in the Region, covering both the direct and indirect regional public administration, as well as the regional public business sector. With this platform, it is possible to ensure the identification, characterisation and ongoing updating of properties, a function reinforced by the property manager in each department, who will be responsible for the continuous maintenance and updating of property information. At the same time, the Portal helps to standardise procedures across the various departments of the Regional Public Administration through restricted access, thereby contributing to a more efficient, consistent and reliable management of the Region’s property assets. The Public Asset Portal also aims to collect information on vehicles in the Region that are subject to registration and, via a dedicated website, to enable shared and more efficient management of the public fleet, whilst also standardising procedures across the services of the Regional Public Administration. Overall, the Public Asset Portal aims to streamline and reduce response times for requests submitted by the Regional Public Administration departments and requests from citizens regarding property assets. The Public Asset Portal of the Autonomous Region of the Azores is currently in the early stages of development, with information being made available gradually and its content constantly updated. With this latest initiative, the Regional Government reiterates its commitment to administrative modernisation, transparency and efficiency in the management of public resources, whilst enhancing the assets of the Autonomous Region of the Azores. The Heritage Portal can be found at: http://patrimonio.servicos.azores.gov.pt.