The Regional Secretary for Tourism and Transport announced on Friday that the Government of the Azores has decided, based on the projects already concluded, to anticipate the launch of public tenders for interventions to be carried out on all islands, representing an investment over 84 million Euros.

Speaking at the opening session of the meeting of the Regional Council of Public Works (CROP), Vítor Fraga stressed that "the anticipation of public tenders is intended to immediately revitalise the construction sector."

During this meeting, which was organised to present the Public Works Charter, Vítor Fraga pointed out that this document "lists the public works - construction, repair and maintenance - to be carried out in this legislative period, which correspond to a total investment over 620 million Euros for the coming years."

With the presentation of the Charter to the partners in the sector, the Regional Government wants that "companies become acquainted with this schedule in advance so that they may organise their activities in the medium-term, taking into consideration the works planned by the Azorean Government during this legislative period."

In this context, Vítor Fraga stressed that this tool, implemented for the first time in the Azores, "provides companies with a comprehensive overview of the public works already scheduled."

The Regional Secretary highlighted the entry into force of the new Community Support Framework, "whose potentialities will be useful in the planning and resizing companies, taking into consideration this new reality." Under this new strategy, which benefits the recovery and renewal of buildings," the Government of the Azores will undertake all efforts to comply with these goals."

In this context, Vítor Fraga announced that "the Regional Public Works Charter allocates over 135 million Euros for the renewal and recovery" of buildings. According to him, this amount "should be analysed as a starting point for renewal works whereas other financial mechanisms will be implemented, as defined in the Azorean Agenda for Employment Creation and Business Competitiveness."

"We should be able to combine energies to create a value chain in the construction sector that is made up of almost entirely of Azorean companies," stressed the government official.

Recalling "the responsibility of privileging, within a legal framework, the economic relations with those who create jobs, pay taxes and generate wealth in the Azores," Vítor Fraga said the Charter "is also directed to the investment in infrastructures to support economic activities, such as agriculture, fisheries, roads, and port infrastructures, among others."
 
The Regional Secretary noted that the Regional Public Works Charter is not "an unchanging process." In this context, the government official took the commitment to supplement the document "in the beginning of next year, after being fully acquainted with the future Community Support Framework."