José Manuel Bolieiro signs new Technical and Financial Cooperation Scheme between regional administration and parishes - Communication

Presidência do Governo Regional

The President of the Regional Government, José Manuel Bolieiro, chaired the "Parishes 2024" training session held today in São Miguel, an initiative of the Regional Directorate for Cooperation with Local Government that has been travelling around the nine islands.

The event also marked the signing of the new Technical and Financial Cooperation Scheme between the regional administration, parishes and parish associations of the Region, in collaboration with ANAFRE (National Association of Parishes).

The protocol aims to empower parish mayors, ensuring that the current public activity requirements are increasingly on their agendas as managers of local public interests.

"We are securing a cooperation system based on three principles: consistency, stability and predictability. From an ethical standpoint, we are contributing to the transparency of financial processes," stressed José Manuel Bolieiro.

Stressing the simplicity and transparency of the new scheme, he stated that it was "simple, less bureaucratic and easier to interpret and review."

For 2024, the budget includes an allocation of two million Euros for technical and financial cooperation between the regional administration, parish councils and parish associations.

The Regional Directorate for Cooperation with Local Government has begun a training process that includes nine training sessions, one per island, for parish mayors and workers. The aim is to provide knowledge and skills for better performance in their respective mandates.

Today's session, which took place at the NONAGON auditorium, was attended by more than a hundred mayors.

José Manuel Bolieiro emphasised the importance of these training sessions, stating that "these training sessions are crucial for parish mayors to become critically aware of the opportunities and risks in terms of their responsibilities."

The training goals include the presentation of the Legal Framework for Public Contracts in the Azores - Regional Legislative Decree 27/2015/A and the dissemination of the New Technical and Financial Cooperation Scheme between the Regional Public Administration, Parishes and Parish Associations of the Azores. It also aims to raise awareness among parish mayors of the need for a new revision of the local finance law, which addresses the financial framework and the State's responsibilities in the public financing of local government.