"First, I will work with the heads of the consular posts to start introducing changes in the service plan for our users, the users of consular posts, changes that will benefit people", José Cesário told Lusa during a ceremony marking April 25th, in the Brazilian city of São Paulo.

"These changes will be made in the area of scheduling consular acts, in the area of modernising the equipment of the [consular] posts and in an area that is fundamental for us, which is increasing consular permanencies", he added.

Asked about the time that the Portuguese Government expects it will take to implement the desired changes in the service provided to Portuguese and Portuguese-Brazilian citizens, Cesário replied that the deadlines will depend on the capacity of each consulate to adapt.

However, the Secretary of State for Portuguese Communities said that the first measure to be implemented is the change in the scheduling of consular acts, which will no longer be done exclusively on an 'online' platform.

"Therefore, each Consulate [Portuguese in Brazil] already knows that it will have sufficient margin, sufficient autonomy, to be able to schedule appointments by other means, whether by telephone, by email, or by sending what you need by post, in addition to, obviously, the 'online' platform that will remain, it will not be abandoned, but it will not be exclusive", explained Cesário.

A second aspect that the government official said is a priority in the changes that the Portuguese Government intends to introduce in the consulates during the visit, which began on Friday and ends on Thursday, is the doubling of consular permanencies in Brazilian cities where Portugal does not have permanent service posts.

"We want our Consulates to do this work at least twice as much and in cities closer to the larger urban centres, such as São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro (...) . We will try to get our employees, in addition to serving more people in the consulates, to serve many more people in these consular permanencies", he said.

Cesário pointed out that another objective of his visit to Brazil, where he will also have an agenda in Santos, Rio de Janeiro, Juiz de Fora, and Belém do Pará, is also to deliver financial support approved by the Government to the community's associative entities.

"We know [that this financial support] is fundamental for the development of activities in the area of culture, in the area of social support, activities that also allow our descendants to have a greater connection to Portugal and Portuguese institutions", said Cesário.

At the "Portas de Abril" event, a Portuguese party to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the Carnation Revolution in São Paulo, the Secretary of State also highlighted the meetings with the Portuguese communities in Brazil.

"I always have a personal goal, I have always said that I believe that Portuguese political leaders must be close to the communities, close to their people, and I am here exactly to follow the people, to show that we are with them, that we are already listening to them, so that we can better meet their wishes", he stressed.

"My visit to this popular party here in São Paulo, commemorating April 25th, means exactly that, it is to be with the Portuguese people here in São Paulo, with this community, so that we can listen to them and better meet their needs", he concluded.

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