PRR: PS/Azores questions reporting delays

The PS/Azores questioned the Regional Government in a request about the “successive delays” in the delivery of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) reports to the Economic and Social Council of the Azores (CESA).

In a request submitted to the Legislative Assembly of the Azores on Wednesday, the socialists state that the “successive delays” “seriously compromise the capacity for monitoring and scrutiny by the competent bodies and Azorean society in general”.

Socialist MP Sandra Costa Dias, the first signatory of the request, states that the PRR “represents a historic opportunity for the structural development of the region”, with “unprecedented European funding for areas such as housing, digitalization, sustainable energy, professional qualifications and the modernization of public administration”.

“The lack of updated reports constitutes a serious failure of governance. Without concrete and recent data, it is not possible to assess what is being done, whether the objectives are being met, or whether there is a need to reprogram priorities. The lack of information also prevents CESA from fulfilling its role of monitoring and issuing informed opinions on the implementation of the plan”, says the deputy, quoted in a press release.

The parliamentarian states that the PS/Azores' concern “is worsened by the latest known figures, which indicate that, at the end of 2024, the PRR implementation rate in the region was just 36%”.

“This figure, together with a set of obstacles already identified, such as the shortage of qualified labor, the logistical difficulties resulting from insularity and the limited number of construction companies capable of simultaneously executing projects, highlights the urgency of more transparent, planned and effective action”, it states.

The request requests that the Regional Government “urgently deliver” the annual PRR implementation report for 2024, ensuring that it is sent to CESA and parliament.

The PS/Azores also wants clarification on the specific reasons that justify the delay in submitting the reports and for the Regional Government to indicate the measures it intends to implement to ensure that similar situations do not occur again in the future.