The Regional Secretary for Social Solidarity announced at the Legislative Assembly that the Regional Government is going to create a programme aimed at increasing support for self-employed workers in the Region, an exceptional measure in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Andreia Cardoso spoke by video conference during the discussion of a draft resolution on support for self-employed workers, stressing that this support "is non-refundable and consists of an increase of 27% in allocated support."

This support may be granted to self-employed workers who are covered exclusively by the self-employment scheme and are not pensioners, as well as to workers who do not carry out any remunerated activity as an employee.

In addition, workers who have ceased their activity by imposition of political or health authorities or who have registered a reduction in turnover over 40%, compared with the previous month or similar period, may also benefit from this programme.

The Regional Secretary said this support was created as the result of regional specificities, which impose the adoption of specific measures that expand and extend the scope of measures to support the economy, companies and employees in the Region.

Andreia Cardoso added that the Institute for Social Security of the Azores has already allocated support for activity reduction to 2,191 beneficiaries, amounting to nearly 437 thousand Euros.

Among them, 244 self-employed workers have also benefited from family support, an investment of more than 43 thousand Euros.