The Regional Secretary for Science, Technology and Infrastructures received today the executive administrator of ZON, who is in the Azores to present the operating results of the group.

Calheiros Duarte, who was accompanied by the ZON Azores official, revealed that 17.2 million Euros were invested in the archipelago in the quadrennium 2008-2011. The evolution in employment was another statistical presented at the meeting. Currently, there are 183 employees and collaborators working at this company.

At the end of the audience, José Contente stressed the advantages of an open telecommunications market, mentioning the importance "of a free and fair market competition in the Azores so that operators may have the best prices for companies and citizens."

However, the Regional Secretary drew the attention to the fact that some anomalous situations still exist, namely the predominance of an operator that continues to provision of services to companies at very high prices.

"The National Communications Authority should pay closer attention to this problem otherwise ANACOM may prove useless to the Azores, added the Regional Secretary.

José Contente recalled that in the context of telecommunications, the Regional Secretariat has already reported situations that still persist in the Region. For example, "Flores and Corvo inhabitants are paying exorbitant prices for a communications service they do not have and this situation should be quickly solved."

Being a regional company, the Regional Secretary highlighted the tax revenue generated by ZON in the Azores in terms of Corporate Tax and VAT. According to figures disclosed by the company, over 800,000 Euros were paid in 2011.

José Contente pointed out that Portugal Telecom has yet to formalise the creation of a regional company. "Some time ago, I have launched a challenge and we think that it makes sense that PT would create PT Açores, particularly after the investment the Azorean Government made, through community funding, in the installation of optical fibre cable that already connects seven islands and the public investment that will bring optical cable to Flores and Corvo. It would be good for the company and the Azores would owe nothing."