Communiqué from the Council of the Government - Communication

The Government, which met on October 26, 2023, in Angra do Heroísmo, adopted the following measures:

1. Approve the draft Plan and Budget for 2024, submitted to the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores last Friday, October 27.

2. Approve the Resolution authorising the signing of an investment-cooperation contract with the Santa Casa da Misericórdia da Madalena on the island of Pico, stipulating a financial allocation of up to €4,611,000.00 for the expansion of the Elderly Support Centre.

3. Approve the Resolution authorising the signing of an investment cooperation contract with the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de São Roque do Pico on the island of Pico, stipulating a financial allocation of up to €4,789,640.00 for the expansion of the Residential Structure for the Elderly and the Creation of a Day Centre in São Roque do Pico, municipality of São Roque do Pico.

The Santa Casa da Misericórdia da Madalena and the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de São Roque do Pico have carried out various activities of considerable social importance, deserving the recognition of the Regional Government and its readiness to maintain and increase the technical and financial support that has been provided. There is a need to continue supporting the development of social support activities, through the creation and upgrading of facilities that provide quality social responses to support the elderly in the municipalities of Madalena and São Roque do Pico.

4. Approve the Resolution authorising the transfer of use, free of charge, of a unit of the property located at Rua Ilha Terceira n.º 27, parish of São Sebastião, municipality of Ponta Delgada, to LADA - Friends of the Azores League.

LADA is a private social solidarity organisation that has been in existence for 27 years. It has as its main goal the provision of support to patients in the Azores, through a group of volunteers, by accompanying patients travelling away from their island of residence, in situations where they have no family or when their family is unable to do so. LADA is proposing the use of a fourth room, free of charge, given the need to improve the conditions of support, comfort and well-being for patients travelling to the island of São Miguel and the respective accompanying persons. 

5. Approve the proposal for a Regional Legislative Decree adapting the Legal Scheme Applicable to Portuguese Fire Brigades in National Territory to the Autonomous Region of the Azores.

This proposal for a Regional Legislative Decree pursues the aims set out in the Programme of the XIII Regional Government of the Azores, namely:

• stimulating and improving the cooperation of the SRPCBA-Azores Regional Civil Protection and Fire Service with municipalities and parish councils within the civil protection system;

• providing the Humanitarian Associations of Volunteer Firefighters of the Azores with the financial resources and material resources they need to operate, by means of fair, equitable and objective contractual arrangements, ensuring certainty, predictability and stability in their operation and refitting;

This Regional Legislative Decree proposal aims to recognise the importance of firefighters in Azorean society, as an essential part of the public safety infrastructure that deals with a wide variety of emergencies.

It intends to provide better working conditions as well as ensure that the legislation in force responds to the current needs of firefighters.

This draft Regional Legislative Decree also provides for additional length of service for pension purposes as well as support for the activity of firefighters, which are considered high-risk and fast-wearing.

6. Approve the Resolution approving the Special Civil Protection Emergency Plan for Seismovolcanic Risk for the island of São Jorge.

The seismovolcanic crises registered over time in the Azores, and the consequences that can arise from them, require the existence of a Special Civil Protection Emergency Plan for Seismovolcanic Risk. The existence of this risk on the island of São Jorge means that the Special Civil Protection Emergency Plan for Seismic Risk for the Island of São Jorge must be drawn up. It provides a detailed outline of the actions of the civil protection support structures, agents and entities, with regard to responsibilities, organisational methods and concepts of operation, as well as the procedures for mobilising and coordinating the resources deemed essential for managing the relief effort.

7. Approve the Regional Implementing Decree approving the organisational structure of Corvo Health Island Unit.

The pursuit of the public interest and the mission of health services in promoting and providing primary health care to the population requires management guided by criteria of efficiency and quality, in addition to an appropriate hierarchical structure. It is necessary to standardise the organisation and operation of Corvo Island Health Unit with that of other island health units as well as to take into account the specific characteristics of Corvo Island.

8. Approve the Resolution amending the budget limit for financial support in the areas of agriculture, animal husbandry, rural development, and the management and development of forestry and hunting resources, amounting to €1,200,000.00.

In view of the relevance and the large number of applications submitted in the areas of agriculture, animal husbandry, rural development and the management and enhancement of forestry and hunting resources, the amount established in Resolution 81/2023 of 18 May, which stood at €2,300,000.00, proved to be insufficient. Therefore, the budget limit for the amount of support now stands at €3,500,000.00 (€1,900,000.00 in 2023 and €1,600,000.00 in 2024).

9. Approve the Resolution amending the protocol signed between the Autonomous Region of the Azores and the Agency for the Modernisation and Quality of Citizen Service, increasing funding by €217,700.00 under the reimbursement scheme for the pilot project for the deposit of non-reusable beverage packaging in the Autonomous Region of the Azores.

The pilot system for the deposit of non-reusable beverage packaging has been widely adopted by the population of the Region and has achieved excellent results. Accordingly, the pilot system for the deposit of non-reusable plastic, glass and metal beverage packaging has been extended up to December 31, 2023. The financial contribution initially provided for in the protocol is proving to be insufficient to cover all the costs involved, particularly as regards the costs of the prizes to be awarded to citizens, as well as the administrative and logistical management costs incurred by RIAC, I.P. It is, therefore, necessary to increase the amounts to be transferred for the implementation of this pilot project.

10. Approve the Resolution declaring the public utility of the compulsory purchase of land plots and rights inherent thereto as necessary for the intervention to divert the Ribeira da Grota stream in the parish of São Caetano, municipality of Madalena, Pico Island.

11. Approve the draft Regional Legislative Decree amending the system for the collection and management of land registry information.

The Autonomous Region of the Azores is still largely unaware of the owners and geographical boundaries of properties, so it is important to have a better knowledge of the regional territory, effectively, in a short space of time and with greater involvement on the part of citizens. With a view to filling this gap, it is important to define the specific guidelines for identifying, recognising and registering rural and mixed properties without a known owner, thus guaranteeing the greatest possible coverage of the regional territory, particularly in terms of property ownership. Furthermore, the intention is to extend the period during which the georeferenced graphic representation procedure will remain free of charge, considering the importance of raising awareness and encouraging property owners to contribute to identifying the boundaries and ownership of their property in the Autonomous Region of the Azores. It is also important to ensure that more service points will be available, which will now include the offices of the Agency for the Modernisation and Quality of Citizen Service (RIAC, I.P.).

12. Approve the Regional Implementing Decree amending the Regional Implementing Decree no. 4/2021/A of April 26, which regulates the granting of financial incentives for the use of new electric vehicles.

The Programme of the XIII Regional Government of the Azores stipulates that one of the priorities in terms of energy policy is to focus on investments in the use of renewable energy sources, contributing to the reduction of imports and our dependence on fossil fuels, as well as promoting policies and implementing incentive mechanisms so that citizens and companies can adopt sustainable mobility.

The incentives for the use of electric vehicles and their charging stations are intended to support this energy transition, through the charging of vehicle batteries at night, when there is greater availability of clean energy on the grid, and at a reduced cost, thereby also reducing the import of fossil fuels and the consequent emission of greenhouse gases released by their combustion. There is a need to adapt the legislation to market developments and to clarify and address certain gaps in terms of rights and obligations regarding the procedures to be adopted in the context of applications submitted under the incentive system in question. The amendments to the current implementing decree concern the need to safeguard situations in which some car brands no longer have dealerships in the region, but rather only agents. Hence, the billing process will now be done by the dealership headquartered in Mainland Portugal. The obligation to purchase the vehicles in the Region has thus been removed. The incentives for the purchase of electric vehicles will now cover rent-a-car companies and taxis. The premium on the scrapping of an internal combustion vehicle will also increase.

13. Approve the Resolution amending the budget limit for expenditure on the subsidy for passengers residing in the Autonomous Region of the Azores - " Azores Fare" from €2,000,000.00 to €8,500,000.00.

The programme of the XIII Government of the Azores guarantees greater mobility for the Azoreans as well as greater social and territorial cohesion. The "Azores Fare" is an example of the success of the policies implemented by the Regional Government with a view to the territorial cohesion of the Region, the development of different tourist destinations, particularly on the less populated islands, and a strong complement to the consolidation of local economies.The Azoreans have embraced the "Azores Fare" in a significant manner, so it is necessary to ensure its implementation during the remaining months of 2023.

14. Adopt the Resolution approving the Technical Guidance for SIMA - Incentive System for Administrative Modernisation.

The development of a Strategy and Action Plan for the Digital Transition and Transformation of the Azores is one of the aims of the XIII Regional Government, as set out in its programme, with the digitisation of public services as a fundamental pillar. SIMA - Incentive System for Administrative Modernisation aims to implement the projects of Regional Public Administration entities, through structured investments that will allow them to achieve the objectives of transforming public services, creating sustainable electronic services, and promoting innovation and competitiveness. With the launch of SIMA, regional public entities will not only be able to harness its potential but also contribute in an active and effective manner to the implementation of various cross-cutting investments with an impact on the innovation, transition and digital transformation of the Regional Public Administration, leveraging its modernisation and development.

15. Approve the signing of two contract-programmes for the promotion of tourism in the Region:

a) One to be signed with the Visit Azores Association.

b) One to be signed with the Chamber of Commerce of Angra do Heroísmo.

The growth of the tourism sector in the Autonomous Region of the Azores is one of the goals of the XIII Regional Government. This growth is recognised as a determining factor for the economic and social development of the archipelago, as it is an element that promotes employment and wealth generation, making a decisive contribution to improving the living conditions of the Azoreans. Promoting and encouraging tourist flows that are compatible with the availability that already exists on each of the islands of the archipelago is of the utmost importance, thus ensuring the profitability of companies in the tourism sector, the maintenance and creation of jobs, wealth generation and the establishment of populations on a permanent basis. The promotion of the Azores is decisive for the growth of the sector and must contribute to and encourage the redistribution of tourist flows among the various islands, with a view to cohesion and the harmonious development of all of them.

The first Contract-Programme, to be signed with Visit Azores, will amount to a total of €1,885,000.00 and is aimed at commissioning a promotion and marketing campaign, specifically to promote the Stansted-Ponta Delgada and Nuremberg-Ponta Delgada routes, for a period of two years.

The second Contract-Programme, to be signed with the Chamber of Commerce of Angra do Heroísmo, aims to develop promotion and marketing campaigns that contribute to raising the visibility of the Autonomous Region of the Azores, specifically of Terceira Island, in the national and US markets, attracting new tourist flows by air to the island. It will amount to a maximum of €2,310,000.00 for a period of three years.