The Proconvergência operational program, working a year ago, already has investments in a global value of 131,8 million euros, which correspond to a Community support of 111,9 million euros.

The Proconvergência, co-financed by the Community Fund FEDER as part of the Azores Strategic Reference Framework (QRESA) 2007-2013, registered, this month only, the approval of 21 candidatures in the global value of 32,9 million euros and with a support of 27,7 millions.

The candidatures approved in October concern projects inserted in the principal priority axes established for the Proconvergência.

In what concerns to the objective “Qualifying and Integrating the Azorean Society” there was approved an expense of investment for 13 million euros for modernization of the regional network of school equipments, being this amount distributed by interventions in two teaching establishments and in the support to the preparation of technical projects for the requalification and adaptation to the secondary teaching of another school.

Two more candidatures were still approved regarding to the cultural heritage and to the construction of a building for occupational activities.

In the whole of these candidatures attached to this priority axe, there is registered an eligible investment for 17,8 million euros, for a Community contribution of 15,1 millions.

In the objective “Giving dynamism to the Creation of Wealth and Job in the Azores” there are seven projects in the area of the services of support rendered to the enterprises, namely business missions, execution of markets and contests and still promotional activities and of tourist animation, among others, which value of investment reaches 6,9 million euros.

Still in this axe, but in the area of the administrative modernization, there was still approved a project of modernization and informatization of the Integrated Network of Support to the Citizen (RIAC), with a value of eligible expense of nearly 2,3 million euros.

From the 21 candidatures approved this month, six are included in the objective of “Improving the Regional Networks of Infrastructures and Accessibilities”, being four of them referring to projects for the improvement and rehabilitation of pieces of road and two to the intervention in ports, in a global amount for 5,2 million euros that will be supported in 4,4 millions.  

Of several already approved projects and, in a year, there were already paid 34 million euros of Community support, being several investments in phase of execution and some already ended.

The vice president of the Government considered that the good management of the Proconvergência and the significant number of projects presented by several promoters guarantee “an excellent level of execution of this new planning period, contributing, undoubtedly, to a reinforcement of the levels of investment and consequently, of production of the Azorean economy, proving, on the other side, the coherence and opportunity of the options of investment defined for the period 2007/2013”.

In accordance with the reports on the financial execution of the operational programs that integrate the National Strategic Reference Framework (QREN), “the Azores lead the average levels of execution shown up for the whole QREN and, especially, regarding the national planning supported for the FEDER”, it added Sérgio Ávila.

For the vice president of the Executive it is “an advantage that must be seen as an added value for the investors who have guaranteed the payment on time of the responsibilities undertaken by the Government as part of the current period of financial planning, being promoted, in this way, a reinforcement of the confidence of the promoters of the investments, which have in the good management of the Community funds, in the Azores, a guarantee of stability and security”.