The President of the Government announced on Thursday that the measures defined by the Government for 2014 will allow Azorean families and companies to benefit from financial support and measures that are higher by 230 million Euros compared to the available support measures in Mainland Portugal and Madeira.

"The first year in office of the XI Government demonstrated the way how we have followed, within the reach of our powers and resources, an Azorean path towards the assurance and reinforcement of specific social support measures," said Vasco Cordeiro.

Speaking at the closing session of the debate on the Regional Plan and Budget for 2014, the President of the Government of the Azores mentioned, as examples, the Regional Pension Supplement (supports over 30 thousand senior citizens), the Azorean Family Allowance Supplement (supports over 37 children) and the Support to the Purchase of Medicines (supports over two thousand senior citizens).

"The political significance of these measures is evidenced by the fact that they will be maintained and reinforced while Mainland Portugal is following the opposite direction, implementing policies that steal money from pensioners and retirees, attacking civil servants and turning their back to children and youngsters," said Vasco Cordeiro.

On the other hand, the government official pointed out that the effects of the measures provided by the Azorean Agenda for Employment Creation and Business Competitiveness will go beyond the year of 2013.

"There are measures whose effects have just started to become noticeable as there are measures which, according their scheduling, will be implemented in a near future to support our economy and our Region," stressed the President of the Government. According to him, the data recently released reveal that the Azorean economy was capable of creating 2,500 jobs in the last two quarters of this year.

Nonetheless, the entry of 3,200 people into the labour market in the last quarter of this year leads to the conclusion that the pace of job creation was not enough to meet the demands of the labour market.
In his closing speech, Vasco Cordeiro also regretted that some Opposition parties, namely PSD, have been lately designing a strategy based on these figures.

"From the political party that claims to be the largest opposition party, we would expect relevant proposals; Azoreans expect more and better," stressed Vasco Cordeiro, who regretted the lack of proposals from the largest opposition party.
 
"PSD seems to accuse the Government of the Azores of being the root of all evil in a Plan that contains 400 actions for 2014; however, it has only presented four amendment proposals to the Plan and none of which was directly related to Employment," said Vasco Cordeiro.