Anafre advocates a 10% increase in the financing of the parishes of the Azores

A delegation of the Azores of the National Association of Freguesias (Anafre) today advocated a revision of the Local Finance Act that takes into account the specificities of insularity and strengthens the financial resources for Azorean parishes.

The position was taken at the close of the XI Regional Meeting of Mayors of Freguesia, which took place today in the municipality of Velas, on the island of São Jorge, organized by the delegation of the Azores of Anafre.

At a time when the work on the revision of the Local Finance Act takes place, the coordinator of the delegation of the Azores of Anafre, Manuel António Soares, stressed that the reality of the Autonomous Regions requires “a differentiation in the financing model of the local authorities of the Azores and Madeira”, taking into account the constraints of insularity, geographical dispersion and distance to the continental territory.

In the closing speech of the meeting, the coordinator listed as one of the proposals a 10% increase of the Fund for Financing of Freguesias (FFF) for the Azores.

The increase in FFF from 2.5% to 5% gradually over the next four years and the access of parishes to the Azores 2030, with specific warning, with adequate financial resources, are also other measures advocated by Anafre in the region.

The regional delegation also advocates the amendment of the legal limit on the indebtedness of the parishes to 50% of the annual allocation received by each parish of the FFF and the extension of the deadline for the liquidation of loans contracted by the parishes until the end of each mandate.

“ We are committed to a fair review of the Local Finance Act”, said Manuel António Soares, recalling that Anafre in the Azores presented its positions at a parliamentary hearing in the Azorean Legislative Assembly and through a motion adopted by a large majority at the last national congress of the association.

He stressed that the proposal of the regional delegation is based on five fundamental principles, including subsidiarity, with increased revenues from the parishes, financial sufficiency, to ensure the necessary resources for the fulfilment of the tasks and competences and equity, in order to prevent smaller parishes from being penalised.

On the other hand, a review of the Local Finance Act must ensure respect for the own resources of each Autonomous Region and the recognition of the ultraperipheral principle, by increasing the financial transfers to the municipalities of the Azores and Madeira, indicated.

Manuel António Soares highlighted the importance of the working group constituted in the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores for the revision of the Local Finance Act.

“ The revision of the Local Finance Act is one of the political priorities of this mandate,” he stressed.

Manuel António Soares also highlighted that the Legislative Assembly heard the delegation of the Azores of Anafre and the Association of Municipalities of the Azores, defending the continuity of this practice of consultation with the representative structures of the local government.

The coordinator of Anafre in the Azores maintained that, despite the “long way” traveled, the mayors should continue to “look forward” and “face the challenges of the future with determination”.

“ Local authorities in Portugal are more efficient than central authorities,” he said, pointing out that local authorities have “only 14% of public financial resources” and are responsible for “45% of the country’s investment”.

Manuel António Soares also highlighted the relationship that the Regional Government has maintained with local authorities, which “must be exalted”.

“ We work for people. We value the territory. We make cooperation an instrument of territorial cohesion. We really apply the principle of subsidiarity", he said.