The Regional Secretary for Social Solidarity said today that the reform of the social Security institutes proposed by the Government of the Azores to the Regional Parliament will improve the service rendered to citizens.

"We are here to improve the service rendered, rationalise financial and human resources with the purpose of improving to provision of services to citizens," stated Piedade Lalanda at the end of a hearing at the Standing Committee on Social Affairs of the Legislative Assembly on the proposal for Regional Legislative Decree establishing the Azores Social Security Institute.

For Piedade Lalanda, this improvement also requires an "administrative rationalisation" and the establishment of cooperation between the Institute for the Social Development of the Azores (IDSA) and the Social Security Financial Management Institute in the Azores (IGFSSA), which will merge into a single organisational and administrative infrastructure.

The new changes are intended to enhance the efficiency and avoid duplication of administrative infrastructures, thus contributing to financial savings, added the Regional Secretary.

Piedade Lalanda also stressed that due to the restructuring of Social Security, there has been a financial saving of 31 percent over the last three years.

During the initial presentation she made to the members of Standing Committee, Piedade Lalanda stressed that the proposed merger of the Social Security institutes will continue the proximity policy that has been pursued by these bodies; the attendance office network will be maintained from Santa Maria to Corvo.

"Citizens will continue to have an attendance office available on their island and in their municipality," assured the Regional Secretary.

The creation of a supervisory body is one of the novelties brought by the new legislation, which should enter into force in January 2014, the beginning of next financial year.

The proposal presented by the Government of the Azores aims to dissolve the two Social Security bodies (IDSA and IGFSSA), creating a single body - the Azores Social Security Institute.