According to the latest Business Barometer published by the "Informa D&B" database, the Autonomous Region of the Azores leads Portuguese regions with regard to the business creation rate for every company that closed down.
The barometer indicates that the Azores registered a renewal index of 3.9 companies created for every company that closed down between March 2013 and February 2014.
The Vice-President of the Government stressed the fact that 499 companies were created over the last 12 months, which is almost four times more than the 129 companies that closed down.
"This indicator is extremely important because it confirms an upward trend in the number of companies in operation in the Azores. It also reveals the confidence in the future of the Region, a new dynamics in regional economic activities, the renewal of the business fabric and the creation of companies with a new capacity and a new approach to problems," said Sérgio Ávila.
For the Vice-President, data also show "the effectiveness and timeliness of the governmental support provided to Azorean companies in the context of the measures for support to the investment and employment creation."
"Due to the combination of these policies, the Azores demonstrated that they are the region of the country with greater capacity for business creation in the last 12 months, being an extremely positive indicator for the future of the Azores," stressed the government official.
According to Sérgio Ávila, the renewal capacity of the regional business fabric will also "create an atmosphere of confidence for the development of regional economic activities with the new entrepreneurs," who will surely have "increased qualifications and skills."
The Vice-President of the Government also underlined that this atmosphere of confidence "has clearly contributed to the fact the Regional Government provides support to private investment as well as the companies' policies for the employment creation, which is far superior to that allocated in Mainland Portugal. Hence, those who want to invest in the Azores may benefit from better competitive conditions and additional support measures."
The data published "are extremely positive and, therefore, should be acknowledged. They will certainly have a future multiplying effect that will be detrimental to the revitalisation of the economic sector the creation of jobs," said Sérgio Ávila.