The Vice-President of the Government said today the Azorean Agenda for Employment Creation and Business Competitiveness has decisively contributed to the economic recovery of the Region, whose signs have become evident.

Sérgio Ávila spoke at the Legislative Assembly during the debate raised by a question posed on the economic and social development model of the Azores, mentioning some data that support his claim.

In this context, the government official stressed that the Agenda "has already benefited 32,257 people, 2,333 companies and contributed to the creation of 2,997 jobs."

"With the 'Integra' programme, it (the Agenda) helped companies to hire more than 1,450 workers" the government official stressed, adding that "the CPE Premium supported the direct creation of 191 jobs and the professional integration programme of trainees allowed the integration of 976 trainees into the labour market.”

Sérgio Ávila also emphasised that the Azorean Agenda for Employment Creation and Business Competitiveness "supported 7,071 workers through their companies, with the extension of lines of credit, and ensured the maintenance of 379 jobs, through the employment stability programme."

The 20.7 growth of Azorean exports in the first quarter of this year was another data released by the Vice-president as a result of the implementation of the measures envisaged in the Azorean Agenda for Employment Creation and Business Competitiveness.

"The consumption of industrial electricity grew 4.4 percent in the first quarter of this year compared to the same quarter of last year. In turn, the consumption of electricity in trade and service sectors increased 1.1 percent," added the government official.

As for the tourism sector, the Vice-President stressed that "overnight stays rose 24 percent and the number of passengers disembarking at regional airports increased 17 percent." The government official also mentioned the growth registered in other sectors, pointing out that the export of fresh fish by air grew 25% and the milk delivered to factories grew 12.7 percent."

"The issuing of building construction permits increased 10 percent, national ATM withdrawals grew three percent and international withdrawals grew eight percent, the sales of passenger vehicles increased 39 percent and commercial vehicles grew 70 percent," said Sérgio Ávila.

In his speech, the Vice-President of the Government also alluded to the Region's Economic Activity Index, stressing that "it is the highest of the last 27 months and recorded the most positive evolution in the country. In turn, the dissolution of companies in the Azores recorded the largest reduction at a national level, with less than 39 percent."
 
For Sérgio Ávila, these positive indicators do not mean that everything is fine for the Regional Government, because "there are new and serious problems we have to face."

In this regard, the government official pointed out "the fluctuations in the price of dairy products, the necessary adjustment in the air and maritime transport policy to face the new challenges and the unemployment rate. The latter is still high, but we hope that it continues to reduce steadily in the coming quarters, as it has been happening."

"We truly believe that we have done everything, within the reach of our resources and powers, to revert a serious problem we have been facing when we began this legislative period," said the Vice-President of the Government. According to him, "positive figures are important for the Government and when they are negative they become even more important."