Pedro Nascimento Cabral, President of the Ponta Delgada Municipal Chamber, highlighted the importance of the investment by the Joaquim Chaves Saúde Group in the municipality. The opening of a new laboratory is seen as a confirmation of Ponta Delgada's capacity to attract investment, generate employment, and expand service offerings to the population.
“This investment has a very important economic and social aspect, starting with job and wealth creation, but it also represents a reinforcement of the health sector's offerings, providing our citizens with more diagnostic and monitoring tools,” stated the mayor during the inauguration of the Dr. Joaquim Chaves Laboratory, located on Rua Conselheiro Dr. Luís Bettencourt Medeiros Câmara.
Pedro Nascimento Cabral congratulated the group on the investment, noting that the establishment of another unit in the city center demonstrates confidence in the municipality's economic and social development. The mayor also pointed out the laboratory's privileged location, overlooking the waterfront of Ponta Delgada.
“This is surely one of the Joaquim Chaves Group's laboratories with the best view in the country. We have an extraordinary landscape here, right in the heart of Ponta Delgada, which also makes the chosen location for this investment very special,” he said.
Ponta Delgada aims to continue being an attractive municipality for companies seeking to invest, grow, and create jobs, translating this dynamism into better services for residents. This ability to attract investment is framed within the municipality's fiscal competitiveness policy, with reduced municipal taxes.
The municipality applies the minimum legal rate of IMI, set the surcharge at 1% for companies with taxable profit exceeding 150,000 euros, and maintains a variable participation in IRS of 3.5%. “We have followed a policy of low taxes because we understand that leaving income with families and resources with companies is also a way to stimulate the economy. Through our tax benefit policy alone, we leave approximately eight million euros in the economy annually, contributing to the dynamism of the municipality's economic and social fabric,” explained Pedro Nascimento Cabral.
The presence and growth of companies in various sectors confirm Ponta Delgada as a territory of trust for private investment. The mayor concluded that the opening of this laboratory is another example of this confidence, valuing its contribution to the economy, employment, and the quality of services provided to citizens.
The inauguration also included speeches by Rui Pinto, Technical Director of the Dr. Joaquim Chaves Laboratory, José Chaves, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Joaquim Chaves Saúde, and Sandra Silva, President of the Board of Directors of the São Miguel Island Health Unit (USISM).
