The Vice-President of the Government pointed out the contribution and "very strong" growth in the volume of sales of regional products with an impact on the success of the current economic development model, considering it to be the most suitable for the Azores.
 
"There is a very strong growth in production and diversification on the part of companies, as demonstrated here," said Sérgio Ávila. He spoke Thursday during a visit to Continente supermarket, owned by Grupo INSCO, stressing that "this has positively contributed to the development and economic growth" of the Region.
 
"Data from the National Statistics Institute (INE) concerning the last two years [2015 and 2016] reveal that the actual GDP growth in the Azores was higher than that registered in the country," added the Vice-President. In this context, he stressed the contribution provided by domestic consumption and private investment to the growth of the export capacity.
 
"We are very close to reaching 400 million Euros of private investment in applications submitted under the incentive system [Competir+], which is an unparalleled amount in the Region," stressed Sérgio Ávila.
 
Since January 2015, more than 860 applications have been submitted under Competir+, representing almost 400 million Euros of private investment and providing for the creation of hundreds of jobs.
 
Sérgio Ávila reiterated that, "from year to year, there is a huge growth in the demand for products bearing the Azores Brand," noting that this increase is the result of the "promotion of regional products" and the new dynamics in the tourism area.
 
Tourism, agri-food and industry are the main sectors that, according to the Vice-President, have been generating more jobs, providing a decisive contribution to the fact that the unemployment rate in the Azores is currently half of that recorded four years ago.