The Government of the Azores revealed today that the study on the costs of social responses has not yet been concluded due to the lack of response from 16 private social solidarity institutions (IPSS). The Azorean executive, formed by the PSD/CDS-PP/PPM coalition, indicated that it had mandated the Institute of Social Security of the Azores (ISSA) to develop this study, but its conclusion was delayed by the non-cooperation of the institutions.
The revelation comes following criticism from the PS (Socialist Party) regarding the situation of the social sector in the region. The opposition party had questioned the executive about the costs of social responses and how they are funded.
The study aims to determine the real costs of social responses provided by IPSS in the Azores, information considered essential for the definition of public policies and for the negotiation of cooperation agreements between the regional government and these institutions. The lack of concrete data has been pointed out as a difficulty in managing the sector.
The government's statement did not specify which 16 institutions failed to respond to the request for information nor what the expected deadline for the conclusion of the study is. The content of the study on the social sector in the Azores awaits response from the IPSS.
