President of the Republic says that Brava island needs conditions for a “true restoration”

The President of the Republic, Jorge Carlos Fonseca, considered that the island of Brava needs the conditions for a “true restoration”, in order to “not just dive into talking about its potential”.

The head of state made these statements to the press, at the end of the first day of his visit to Brava Island, and stated that the island has “many potentials, yes”, but that it deserves “attention and a different look” from the public authorities. .

"It is an island that needs to be restored and for that it is necessary that some dimensions were taken into account by the public authorities", said Jorge Carlos Fonseca, adding that it is an island that still suffers from a decrease in population, which he considers a “worrying” phenomenon.

Also, he pointed out, it is an island with “great potential” for rural tourism, housing or even health, but which has conditions that, if not overcome, the idea of development could be “frustrated”.

Brava, he continued, is an island that deserves “a closer look” from the public authorities, so that “the problem of population decline” can be “stanched”, but also that conditions are created in terms of health, transport and access to water, so that if it is an island that has the conditions for tourism, that it has the conditions to be carried out and that it does not remain a “mere chimera”.

However, he acknowledged that, as he is from the island and knows it well, “there have been some improvements”, namely in terms of maritime transport, because today “there is predictability and regularity”, but he does not rule out the possibility of the sector being improved.

Especially because, he continued, highlighting opinions from third parties, he exemplified that there are those who think that in the future there could be connections Brava/Fogo and vice versa in smaller vessels, with other types of conditions, without forgetting the dream of having an airport.

“What the population does not know is in the long or medium term, whether or not it is possible”, he summarized.

In addition to transport, an area that Jorge Carlos Fonseca draws the attention of the public authorities is the issue of health, which, he pointed out, requires “investments and a careful look”.

He clarified that in this sector, in the Health Department, the laboratories “practically have no materials”, there is some equipment that “has been out of order for a long time”, even with some added value, such as telemedicine and the arrival of specialists on a regular basis, between others.

“On the one hand we always talk about positive discrimination, as it is an island with fewer people, with less potential, to be able to compete with other islands”, declared Jorge Carlos Fonseca, but the fact that Brava is a small island and a municipality/island , he continued, it has “special vulnerabilities”, which requires “a more civic look and policies” directed towards the island.

The head of state continues his visit today to various locations and at the end of the day the launch of the book “Cabo Verde, Nós Bilida d´Odju”, by José Pereira, is scheduled, followed by the exhibition of photographs “OS BRAVAS”, by the same author and photographer.

MC/YY

Inforpress/End