Regional Government mitigating rise in inflation since tax reduction in the Region, says Duarte Freitas - Communication

Secretaria Regional das Finanças, Planeamento e Administração Pública

The Regional Secretary for Finance, Planning and Public Administration, Duarte Freitas, stressed today that the Regional Government is tackling inflation "since January 1" when the reduction of taxes in the Region, contested by the PS (Socialist Party), came into force.

"The Regional Government is fighting inflation since January, with the reduction of taxes," Duarte Freitas recalled, speaking on the sidelines of the parliamentary works taking place this week in the city of Horta.

The Regional Secretary recalled that PS and its leader, Vasco Cordeiro, who was the "biggest tax collector" in the Azores, "announced chaos through tax relief," which has not happened.

"It is incredible that those who were always against the reduction of taxes now have the nerve to say that we are collecting more taxes," stated the government official.

The Regional Secretary also recalled the measures implemented in the Regional at the social level and the social electricity tariff, adding that negotiations are ongoing with the unions for an increase in the supplementary remuneration of Regional Public Administration workers.

Duarte Freitas met on Tuesday with Minister of Finance, Fernando Medina. The Government of the Azores welcomed "very favourably" the measures announced this week by the National Government to combat inflation, as "most of which will be implemented" in the Azores.