Carlos César reinforced the idea that the support to companies and families is the Regional Government’s priority at a time when some Azorean companies and families are facing difficulties caused by the worldwide crisis.
“It is a matter of choice. In the case of the Azores, we have gathered our resources. We will no longer carry out the interventions that we have planned for the S. Miguel Football Stadium, a four-million Euro investment; we have also cancelled the construction of a football stadium on the island of Faial as well as the construction of two or three roads. We have channelled our resources to the social sectors to support families and companies to face the present difficulties,” stated Carlos César.
Assuming “the existence of other obligations on the mainland, such as the purchase of submarines, the construction of a bridge or a road,” Carlos César added that “everyone manages the available resources according to the present needs.”
The President of the Government spoke at the end of an audience granted this morning, the Board of Caritas São Miguel, chaired by José António Gomes, and stressed the strategy that has been followed by the Government, either in the direct action embodied in the measures that have been implemented, or in the support to private social solidarity institutions.
“The fight against poverty is not cyclical. It is an ongoing struggle. This fight is more intense in crisis situations that are caused by factors such as unemployment, but the truth is that there are always new reasons for the emergence of poor families or financial problems in households,” said Carlos César, adding that this is why governments and institutions such as Caritas, which are financed by public funding, collaborate to the resolution of these problems.
Carlos César also praised the important role played by Caritas in the Azores, particularly with regard to assistance and social integration, announcing that the Regional Government will support the project to renew the facilities of the institution in Ponta Delgada, where Caritas shelters the homeless and operates a free time occupation centre (ATL) attended by 120 children.