Raven Council gives unfavourable opinion to the Azores Plan and Budget

O Council of Ilha do Corvo issued an opinion against the preliminary proposal of the Plan and Budget of the Azores for 2027, considering that the document “does not respond adequately” to the needs of the island, was announced today.

The President of the Corvo Island Council, Gregory Domingos, told the Lusa agency that that body unanimously decided to issue an unfavourable opinion because he considered that the document “does not respond adequately to the needs of the island or to the whole of the concerns presented to the Regional Government [PSD/CDS-PP/PPM], in a memorandum, during the statutory visit” held in July.

The unfavourable opinion “is based on the fact that the investments specifically planned for Corvo are limited to interventions promised in previous years without having been implemented”.

According to Gregory Domingos, although the advisers of the smallest Azorean island recognize the importance of these works, they believe that “their subsequent inclusion in the planning documents, without effective execution, does not constitute a sufficient response to the island’s problems or represents a new ambition for its development.”.

The Council of Ilha also regrets that the preliminary proposal of the Plan and Budget of the Azores for next year does not contemplate a “comprehensive response” to the priorities identified in the memorandum that was delivered to the Regional Government led by Social Democrat José Manuel Bolieiro.

“ This document expresses concerns of the community and needs that require concrete commitments, adequate funding and clear implementation deadlines”, the president of that body called.

With the position taken, the Corvo Island Council calls for a review of the proposal, so as to “ensure not only the implementation of the long-awaited investments but also the inclusion of the remaining priorities presented”.

The Raven “needs commitments that translate into achievements and effective improvements in the living conditions of its population, giving expression to the principle of territorial cohesion”, he concluded.

The pre-proposal for the Azores Plan for 2027 provides for an overall investment of EUR 1,057 million, EUR 650 ME of the “direct responsibility” of the Regional Government.

The discussion and vote on the Plan and Budget of the Azores for 2027 will take place in November at the Regional Legislative Assembly, in the city of Horta, on the island of Faial.