Government of the Azores triplicates funds of the “Eco Freguesia, Freguesia limpa” programme

May 5, 2022

The “Eco Freguesia, Freguesia limpa” programme, promoted by the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Change, aims to recognise the parishes’ efforts and the populations’ collaboration on the cleaning and removal of waste abandoned in public spaces, including watercourses and the shoreline, and on carrying out environmental awareness programmes and actions.

According to the Regional Secretary for the Environment and Climate Change, Alonso Miguel, “this programme has proved to be a fundamental cooperation tool between the Regional Government and regional parish councils, which are strategic partners in waste management, environmental quality promotion, and natural resources protection”.

Considering “the importance and the positive impact” of the “Eco Freguesia, Freguesia limpa” programme and responding to the appeal of the Parish Councils, the Regional Government decided to reinforce this measure’s fund, for 2022, with more than a million euros.

In fact, “the programme's budgetary allocation is now more than three times greater than initially planned, which corresponded to approximately 450 thousand euros”, said Alonso Miguel.

The Regional Secretary also mentioned that “with this significant budgetary reinforcement, we intend to increase the value of the financial support given to the Region’s Parish Councils, reinforcing its action capacity of cleaning public spaces, either through the acquisition of equipment essential to the good execution of those services or also through the hiring of human resources for that purpose”.

The announcement of the reinforcement of the budgetary allocation for the “Eco Freguesia, Freguesia limpa” programme was made today, during a meeting with the Presidents of the Parish Councils of the Municipality of Ribeira Grande, on São Miguel, which was also attended by the Regional Secretariat for Youth, Vocational Training and Employment, Maria João Carreiro.

According to the governor, “this reinforcement of funds clearly proves the sensitivity and importance attributed by the Regional Government to the relationship and cooperation with Local Power, having in mind its contribution to the sustainability of environmental, social and economic progress”.

Maria João Carreiro also referred that, “in addition to ensuring greater financial stability, this initiative of the Regional Government represents one more contribute to reinforce the Azorean parish council’s capacity to hire human resources or to acquire services that allow the adequate execution of their competencies, reducing the dependence on the use of occupational programmes, in line with the objective of reducing labour precariousness”.