The leader of the PS/Azores expressed his concern about the preliminary proposal for a Regional Investment Plan for 2023, pointing out that the document foresees “a cut of more than 140 million euros”.
Vasco Cordeiro was speaking, on Saturday, on the island of São Miguel, at a session of the initiative “Building the Future – What Azores Do We Want?”, through which the president of the PS/Azores met with sympathizers and activists in all Azorean islands.
“In this preliminary proposal, there is a cut of more than 140 million euros, thus reducing the value of the Investment Plan, to about 640 million,” said Vasco Cordeiro, according to a press release released by PS/Açores.
In the session, which brought together supporters and activists from the municipalities of Ponta Delgada and Ribeira Grande, on the island of São Miguel, the leader of the PS/Azores, former president of the Regional Government, said that at a time when the Region must “ mobilize resources to help families and businesses, the Government’s response is to cut more than 140 million euros in the Investment Plan”.
“The document has not yet been delivered to the political parties, it will be when it is delivered to the Legislative Assembly, but, only in public, what is seen is that this Regional Government seems to have deserted this fight for the Azores. families and companies”, said the leader of PS/Azores.
Quoted in the statement, Vasco Cordeiro recalled that the PS/Azores “has been warning” about the need to implement “measures in favor of families and companies” to mitigate the effects of rising inflation, criticizing the position of the Azorean executive PSD/CDS-PP Coalition /PPM.
“Since March of this year, PS/Azores has warned of the need to take measures in favor of families and businesses, in addition to presenting concrete proposals focused, in particular, on reducing fuel prices, strengthening support for the purchase of food products and the creation of support mechanisms for companies with the guarantee of maintaining the final price of the goods. The response we have received is that of a growing arrogance of this Regional Government and of the majority that supports it”, he pointed out.
Vasco Cordeiro once again warned about “the growing degradation” of regional public finances. On Friday, the regional secretary for Finance and Planning, Duarte Freitas, said, at a press conference, that the draft of the plan for next year, which will be sent to the social agents, foresees an investment of 640.9 million euros, despite the “unmatched” economic situation in the region, due to the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the inflationary crisis.
“Public investment in 2023 must therefore, with conjunctural sensitivity, imperatively, support the most fragile and the middle class of our society, at the same time that, with strategic assertiveness, it further enhances cohesion and resilience and enhances the development and convergence”, highlighted, at that time, the governor.
Source: Observadora
