Concern shown by Prime Minister must have "practical impact" in the State Budget, says Vasco Cordeiro
The President of the Regional Government expects that the concern shown by the Prime Minister regarding the difficulties arising from insularity may have a "practical impact" in the State Budget for 2015, with the restitution of the transfers as they were before the revision of the Regional Finance Act.
"The question is to know whether the concern shown by Prime Minister in his speech regarding the difficulties we all face, especially in the archipelago, will have a practical impact on the discussion of the State Budget," thus creating the necessary conditions so that the Regional Government may lower taxes," said Vasco Cordeiro.
According to him, this concern of Pedro Passos Coelho has to be evidenced in the analysis of the proposal that will be submitted to the National Assembly "not only to restore the tax differential in the Azores, which is positive to Azorean families and companies, but also to restore the level of transfers as before the last amendment to the Finance Act of Autonomous Regions."
This restitution of transfers "will be good for the Azores because these resources that can help us to strengthen social measures that are not available in other parts of the country, such as the support to the elderly, children and youngsters," said Vasco Cordeiro, who is accompanying Pedro Passos Coelho's visit to the Region.
"After the concern shown by the Prime Minister as to whether the situation poses challenges throughout the country, with particular emphasis on the autonomous regions, the question is to know whether it will have, as I believe, a practical impact on the analysis and discussion of the State Budget," stressed the President of the Government.