Communiqué from the Council of the Government - Communication

The Council of the Government, which met on March 21, 2025, in Madalena do Pico, decided to adopt the following measures:

1. Determine that, as the conditions are met to maintain the current privatisation process of SATA Internacional - Azores Airlines, S.A., it should continue.

The New Tour/MS Aviation ("NT/MS") grouping, a competitor in the privatisation process of SATA Internacional - Azores Airlines, S.A., demonstrated its willingness, during the negotiation phase, to improve its proposal financially by raising the overall price to 15.2 million Euros and reinforcing the criterion on contributing to the consolidation of SATA's financial capacity.

The Board of Directors of SATA Holding, in a request addressed to the Regional Government, has once again sought specific guidance on the procedures with the tender process, bringing the following to the Regional Government's attention:

"On February 28, 2025, the NT/MS Grouping submitted a request, informing the Board of Directors of SATA Holding about the identity of the Portuguese citizens - Carlos Manuel Antunes Tavares Dias and Paulo José Angélica Pereira da Silva - who, should an improved proposal be presented, will be part of the NT/MS Grouping. The NT/MS Grouping also informed that the sum of the shareholdings to be held by the two new members will total 49% of the share capital of the company that will hold the SATA Internacional shareholding."

Therefore, the Regional Government has decided that, as the conditions are met to maintain the privatisation process of SATA Internacional - Azores Airlines, S.A., it should continue.

2. Approve the Resolution extending the "Birth Plus" Programme to 2025, with an estimated financial impact of €4,000,000.00.

With this measure, launched by the first coalition government, the Regional Government continues to promote children's well-being and health, whilst also seeking to improve birth rates.

3. Approve the Resolution renewing the "New Elderly" Programme for 2025, with a budget limit of €7,000,000.00.

This programme, which also began under the first coalition government, has as its main goal to provide a proximity response to help the elderly continue to live safely and independently at home and the community over time.

4. Approve the Resolution authorising the second amendment to the contract programme signed between the Autonomous Region of the Azores and Portos dos Açores, S.A., aimed at regulating the work for the protection of the coastline, development of the bay and passenger docks at the São Roque do Pico Port.

This is an investment made by the Regional Government, in partnership with the São Roque do Pico Town Council, which has potential for development in the town of São Roque do Pico, stimulating private investment in the municipality.

The project involves the construction of a 650-metre breakwater, which will stretch from the natural pool area to Largo D. Diniz, creating an inland port basin of about 25 thousand square metres.

This infrastructure will provide for the installation of floating structures to operate smaller vessels and improve accessibility in the coastal area.

The Regional Government has taken on the investment in coastal protection and the development of the São Roque do Pico port bay, as it will be of great benefit for the island of Pico as a whole and, in particular, for leveraging development opportunities in the town of São Roque.

5. Approve the proposal for a Regional Legislative Decree establishing the new general scheme on waste management in the Region and the licensing and granting of waste management operations.

6. Approve the Resolution authorising expenditure on the "Acquisition of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Equipment" contract, with a maximum base price of €1,300,000.00, plus VAT at the legal rate in force, for the Horta Hospital.

7. Approve the Resolution authorising the opening of a public procurement procedure for the formation of a contract for the acquisition of a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) module, with a base price of €4,500,000.00, for the research vessel AZORES OCEAN.

8. Approve the Resolution authorising the signing of a contract programme between the Autonomous Region of the Azores and Teatro Micaelense - Centro Cultural e de Congressos, S.A., with a view to developing the cultural offer, through the implementation of the approved programme of shows, up to a maximum amount of 900,000.00 €, for 2025.

9. Approve the Resolution authorising expenditure by the São Miguel Island Health Unit for the purchase of vaccines provided for in the Regional Immunisation Programme for 2025, with an estimated financial impact of €1,141,915.31, plus VAT at the legal rate in force.

10. Approve the Resolution authorising the Secretariat for Education, Culture and Sport and the Secretariat for Agriculture and Food to grant financial support to entities participating in sporting events with promotional relevance for the Region, with an overall amount of support to be granted within the budget limit of €162,500.00.

11. Approve the Resolution stipulating the budget limit for financial support to be granted in 2025 by the Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructures to public and private non-profit organisations, with a view to carrying out various works and other investments of public interest, also defining the access conditions for investment projects and support beneficiaries, amounting to €1,561,483.00.

12. Approve the Resolution approving 19 applications under the legal and financial support scheme for climate emergency due to damage resulting from the extreme weather event that occurred in the municipality of Praia da Vitória, totalling €127,788.10.

13. Adopt the Resolution approving 15 applications under the legal and financial support scheme for climate emergency due to damage arising from the extreme weather event that occurred in the parishes of Ribeirinha, Matriz and Conceição, all in the municipality of Ribeira Grande, São Miguel Island, totalling €27,317.93.