The Government of the Azores will seek to integrate the strategies that guide the government’s action in the Plan and Budget for 2011 to be presented and discussed at the Regional Legislative Assembly in November next.
Maintaining the balance of the regional public finances has always been a crucial issue, stated Carlos César, “because if we do not take action, we will end up in situation where it is not worth investing. If we do not have resources, we will have to cut down.”
Stressing that the Government, hoping to maintain the funding sources of last year, will present an investment plan of around 500 million Euros, Carlos César stressed that “we do not yet know whether the regional finance act remains in force or not, if the law on State Budget decreases or not, if the transfers and indebtedness are authorised or not,” these are variables that the Regional Government cannot control.
Public investment and the support to private investment is another governmental strategy whose stability Carlos César wants to maintain as “it is good for all economic and social agents to be in a region where, despite the difficulties and the external instability, we have always maintained the public support and investment levels.”
Moreover, the President of the Government alluded to intention of enhancing the competitiveness of Azorean companies, with "an increasingly selective investment in order to reduce production costs and improve logistics to boost the development of economic activity and launch our companies in foreign markets.”
The Government also intends to include in the two documents, its intervention to minimise the consequences arisen by the lack of bank financing to the private sector companies and to families, and the efforts to offset the negative effects caused by some national restraint measures, mainly at the level of social benefits, such as unemployment and social integration income.
The President of the Government also stressed an area that will deserve special attention which concerns to a closer monitoring and follow-up of to the integration of young graduates in the labour market.
“This is a sensitive matter, it is human capital that we wish to reproduce actively and effectively in regional development,” said Carlos César.
Other important areas were also mentioned such as maritime economy – for which a Regional Directorate will be created – selective support to agriculture, mainly in the export sector, invest in science and technology, especially in business innovation and support the efforts undertaken to increase the contribution of renewable energy sources in energy production.
After a two-day hearing granted to political parties, associations, business, professional and union representatives, the President of the Government revealed that it is possible to include some of the suggestions in the Plan and Budget.
For Carlos César, “there is, amongst social partners, a sense close to what is considered an emergency nowadays, which is the need to promote economic development in view of its sustainability and that was particularly evident amongst business representative bodies and union institutions.”