The leader of the PS Azores, Francisco César, warned on Wednesday about the confusion, lack of transparency, and poor planning by the Regional Government in implementing the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), stressing that this situation could pose a danger to public accounts and Azorean companies. “Our primary concern relates to the transparency of the PRR’s implementation. Business owners do not know the actual status of implementation and are often surprised by media reports of revisions or awards that were not even planned or discussed with the members of the government responsible for this matter,” said Francisco César.

The socialist leader considered it “unacceptable that more is known through the media than through the Regional Government’s official documents” and regretted that there are no impact indicators to assess the results of the investments. “It is essential to know what the investment is being made for and what impact it will have on people’s lives,” he added. Francisco César, who was speaking on the sidelines of a meeting with AICOPA, also warned of the real risk that the Region will not be able to fully implement the PRR, which, according to the socialist leader, will have serious consequences. “If the Regional Government does not implement the PRR, it runs the risk of having to return the money it received for certain investments to the European Union and, at the same time, pay for the works already started.

This could be a real atomic bomb for the Region,“ he warned. Recalling that the Region’s financial situation is already worrying, ”with a structural deficit of around €250 million per year,“ Francisco César also denounced the Regional Government’s failure to pay companies, a situation which, he said, ”is affecting the entire Azorean economy.” “The government cannot continue to not pay what it owes to companies. It is better to have a realistic budget that delivers on its promises than the largest budget ever, which is then not implemented or paid,” argued the socialist leader.

In closing, the socialist also noted that this confusion and lack of planning on the part of the Regional Government is evident in the investments that were removed from the PRR, such as a Health Center and a Nursing Home, which, according to the Executive, would be included in the next Community Framework, PO2030. “Any work financed by Community funds must be included in the Region’s investment plan, but you only have to consult the document to see that these works are not there,” he denounced. “Things have to be done with transparency and planning. You can’t say one thing in public and then not have the technical and financial support to carry it out. The Region needs organization and predictability, so get organized, because the Azoreans will thank you for it,” concluded Francisco César.

In Diário dos Açores-Paulo Viveiros, director

Translated into English as a community outreach program by the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL), in collaboration with Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno. PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.