José Manuel Bolieiro highlights "effective use" of European funds in modernising social services - Communication

Presidência do Governo Regional

The President of the Regional Government, José Manuel Bolieiro, chaired today in Ponta Delgada the delivery ceremony of 24 electric vehicles to Private Social Solidarity Institutions (IPSS) and similar organisations in the Region, as part of the GERMOV – Generations on the Move programme.

The initiative represents a further step in strengthening the response capacity of the institutions providing daily support to the most vulnerable individuals, families and communities, whilst promoting sustainable mobility and the modernisation of social services.

The head of the Azorean Government emphasised that this measure reflects the “humanist vision” underpinning the Government’s actions.

“Our approach is to serve human dignity. The message we are sending today is highly significant, as we share resources and means with those who, on the ground, deliver the services they provide to the community, the people and the families in need of collective solidarity,” he stated.

The President of the Regional Government noted that the delivery of these vehicles is the result of the efforts undertaken by the Azorean Government, which found in the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) an opportunity to bolster support for social institutions.

"We have made good use of the EU funds earmarked for this type of service. It was our choice. We have optimised the resources at our disposal to meet the needs of the Azorean population," he emphasised.

José Manuel Bolieiro acknowledged that existing needs often exceed available resources, but reiterated his Government’s commitment to continuing to invest in solutions addressing social challenges.

"The needs, combined with our ambitions, mean that resources are always short of what we would like to achieve. We take action to solve problems and prevent future problems," he stated

The head of the Azorean Government also considered that the delivery of vehicles is a significant improvement to the operational capacity of beneficiary institutions.

“It is a magnificent improvement that we are bringing to reality today. I am grateful for the achievement, happy with the result, but still concerned about how much remains to be done in terms of the support and social progress we want for our society,” he emphasised.

José Manuel Bolieiro also highlighted that the investment provides institutions with more modern and efficient resources, contributing to improved services for the population.

"We are facilitating an increase in modern capacity. This service supports mobility and social support within the GERMOV project. Today, we have fully achieved this milestone and this target under the RRP," he said.

The GERMOV programme – Generations on the Move, launched in 2021, aims to improve and modernise the social services provided by Azorean institutions by renewing their vehicle fleets, whilst promoting energy transition and electric mobility.

The programme’s overall budget amounts to over €5.2 million, funded by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) under the European NextGenerationEU instrument. The 24 vehicles delivered today correspond to an investment of around €960,000.

Today’s ceremony took place at Portas do Mar in Ponta Delgada, bringing together representatives from the beneficiary organisations and various regional entities.

The ceremony was also attended by the Regional Secretary for Health and Social Security, Mónica Seidi, the Mayor of Ponta Delgada, Pedro Nascimento Cabral, as well as representatives of the Private Social Solidarity Institutions (IPSS) and similar entities benefiting from this measure, who received the vehicles intended to bolster their response capacity to the needs of the communities they serve daily.