The Regional Secretary for Tourism and Transport revealed today that the Government of the Azores plans to launch this year "119 procedures" under the Regional Public Works Charter" (CROP), which represents an investment over 100 million Euros. The government also added that a total of 26 million Euros "have already been approved at the last Council of the Government so that the respective procedures may be launched."

"There is a clear strategy developed by the Azorean Government to boost the sector and anticipate a scheduled investment in order to gain some consistency and increase the workload for construction companies so that they carry out their activities normally. However, we must bear in mind that the sector is going through a phase of adjustment and restructuring with different challenges," stated Vítor Fraga.

Speaking at the presentation of the Dissemination Plan for Scientific and Technological Knowledge of the Regional Civil Engineering Laboratory for 2014, Vítor Fraga revealed that “we have scheduled interventions in the amount of 53 million Euros under the Regional Public Works Charter and the procedures launched in the second semester of 2013; some of which are already taking place or are expected to begin until the end of the first quarter of 2014."

"This is an important contribution to the sector in terms of the workload. We will be able to assure the normal activity of construction companies based on the assumption with the compliance with legal procedures on these tenders," stressed the government official.

The Regional Secretary recalled that the reform of legislation on the construction sector should be concluded by the end of the first semester of this year. These amendments are intended to provide the regional with legislation to reduce construction costs.

"A reform of legislation at this level is, somewhat, a time consuming process that cannot be done overnight; it is something that must be carried out consistently and scientifically validated so that we may be sure that the legislation can clearly contribute to the goal of reducing construction costs and actively contribute to the sustainability of the sector," said Vítor Fraga.