Ponta Delgada, April 28, 2020
The Government of the Azores has created an exceptional measure to encourage the maintenance of handicraft companies in the Region, whose activity is being directly affected by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic with the closure of its facilities, the decrease in the sale of their products and the cancellation of markets and fairs aimed at the sector.
This new support constitutes yet another regional complement, which, in conjunction with the measures determined at national level, represents a reinforcement of liquidity that will allow Azorean artisans to face the most urgent situations.
The Government of the Azores considers that handicraft companies are fundamental to the region’s economy, actively contributing to the richness and diversity of its cultural heritage and, in this sense, makes an additional effort to ensure its sustainability and, consequently, the maintenance of employment in the sector.
This is another innovative measure, of immediate implementation, created within the scope of a set of measures already approved and implemented by the Government of the Azores to support the economy, the maintenance of employment and income, and whose applications can be submitted from of today.
The sector’s entrepreneurs who apply for this measure have as their main obligations to maintain their activity and the level of employment until the end of 2020.
In practice, this exceptional incentive measure, published today in the Official Journal, consists of non-refundable financial support for artisanal companies, granted for one month, renewable for three months, which corresponds to the monthly payment of 666.75 euros for each worker of the company holding a craftsman’s license, issued until February 29, 2020, and managing partners with discounts made for Social Security.
In this way, the Azorean Executive gives one more answer within the framework of the regional Autonomy that guarantees the support to the liquidity of the artisanal companies, to the workers and to the Azorean families.
The application form for this support is available on the website of the Regional Center for Handicrafts (CRAA), at http://www.artesanato.azores.gov.pt and the form and a copy of the required attachments must be sent to the email [email protected] by the end of June.
The Government of the Azores remains strongly committed to adopting all measures that prove necessary not only to combat the pandemic of COVID-19, but also to face its social and economic consequences in the Region.
GaCS / SB