Government prepares regional development plan for the island
Representatives of the International Center for Strategic Studies and Development are in Brava to begin the process of drawing up the island's regional development plan.
In statements to the media today, the head of the group, Maria de Lourdes Gonçalves, pointed out that the group was invited by the Ministry of Territorial Cohesion, through the Directorate-General for Territorial Policy and Cohesion, to to carry out a study aimed at drawing up the "true" development plan for Brava.
According to the same source, five experts from different areas and representatives from the International Center for Studies and Strategy and Development, which is a center that provides national and international public service, are on the island.
The plan, according to the official, is of "extreme importance" for Brava, an "island that has a wonderful history, culture, landscape and people", but which "faces specific challenges" that require an integrated strategic approach for its sustainable development.
Therefore, Maria de Lourdes Gonçalves explained that the study aims precisely to build the strategic plan that defines a clear vision of the future and establishes a strategic roadmap for the development of the municipality in the coming years.
"Brava's original development plan, in complementarity with other national instruments, aims to make a contribution to the implementation of cohesion policy, giving high priority to the creation of a new dynamic of original development, which re-establishes a path of economic convergence with the national whole and with the diaspora," he said.
According to her, the strategy also aims to respond to the region's challenges, with the strategic coherence, operational flexibility and efficiency necessary for the proper implementation of the policies and the funds that will eventually be allocated for their implementation.
"In this work we are doing, we are focusing on affirming the region in the context of the regions, prioritizing innovation and competitiveness, as well as territorial resilience measures as a vital element for the prosperity and well-being of the island's agents, specifically in sustainability, social cohesion and urban development", he stressed.
Lourdes stressed that the preparation of the regional development plan for Brava Island is the responsibility of the Government, under the coordination of its members responsible for the area of territorial cohesion and was determined by the resolution of the Council of Ministers.
"Within this framework, the government is relying on a vast team to draw it up, but above all on the firm commitment of the local authorities. That's why we're here to listen, not only to the City Council, but also to the authority that has competence in the territorial management of the island, so that we can build a participatory document that can be appropriated and implemented by the people of Brava," he concluded.
