The Government of the Azores announced on Wednesday the amendment to the regulation system of the Legal Scheme on the awarding of financial support to renewal, repair and improvement works in degraded houses in the Azores.

The measure, approved at the last meeting of the Council of the Government, “not only intends to encourage the renewal of the housing sector in the Region, making it less expensive and more appealing in the most urgent cases, but also to boost the activity of small and medium contractors and the housing conditions of the Azorean population.”

Regarding the changes now introduced, the Regional Secretary of the Presidency stressed “the average increase of the awarded support, which can go up to 70% of the amount of the construction of controlled-cost housing, according to typology that is best suited to the characteristics of the household, as well as a support up to 1250 Euros to the regularisation of the ownership records.”

André Bradford also said the Council of the Government approved the structure and the statutes of the Social Security Financial Management Institute in the Azores, IPRA, and the Institute for the Social Development of the Azores, IPRA.

According to the Regional Secretary, the recently approved legislation “aims to enhance the use of operational synergies, the technical specialisation of human resources, a coordinated effort between all areas and a greater control, hence consolidating a simpler structure which is adapted to the Social Security reality in the Azores.”

The Government also decided to approve the establishment of the Atlantic Network of Geodynamic and Space Stations (RAEGE), which is the result of a partnership between the Government of the Azores, through the Regional Secretariat for Science, Technology and Infrastructures, and the National Geographic Institute of Spain.

“The RAEGE comprises the installation and operation of four fundamental geodesic stations (EGF) to carry out studies in the field of astronomy, geodesy and geophysics; two of them will be located in Spanish territory and the other two in regional territory, specifically on the islands of Santa Maria and Flores,” stated André Bradford.