Government: “Portugal is increasingly an attractive country to invest”

O secretary of State for Treasury and Finance spoke at the Luso-France Summit of Specialized Financing, organized today in Lisbon by the Portuguese Association of Leasing, Factoring and Renting and the French Association of Financial Companies (ASF), where he stressed the increase in foreign investment in Portugal by companies in the second largest economy of the euro zone.

“ In an increasingly demanding international context, marked by geopolitical risks, rapid changes and energy transition, economies are called to respond with increasingly robust models, where trust is the most valued asset,” he said.

One of the main concerns of the Portuguese Government is to “ensure that there is stability and that there is confidence in the country’s economic and financial system”, an “an anchor for investment and financing”.

According to finance minister Joaquim Miranda Sarmento, “Portugal is increasingly an attractive country to invest” because “it has political, financial and economic stability, specialized workforce, commitment to environmental and social sustainability, and energy independence, as well as a government committed to business development”.

The executive has been betting on “reducing public debt” and “responsible budgetary management, based on sustainable public policies” that favor Portugal as a destination for investment and that is being valued by financial rating agencies, emphasized João Silva Lopes.

“ This path has been made on the basis of prudent management, supported by sound financial foundations and without neglecting the social pillar, the improvement of public services in various areas, such as health and education, digital transition, debureaucratization, infrastructure, making our country more prepared and resilient for the coming decades”, he noted.

The Secretary of State cited the investment of French companies as an example of this trajectory, stressing that bilateral relations “of recent months” have consolidated a “very strong economic relationship” between France and Portugal.

The Secretary of State referred in particular to the financial sector, the entry of the BPCE banking group as a shareholder of Novo Banco, the strengthening of the BNP Paribas and “the concentration of many of its shared services in Portugal”, and the expansion of the Natixis competence center (the BPCE group) in order to reach the 4,000 workers in the coming years.

Speaking about the business fabric, he said that, in addition to traditional banking funding, “it is imperative that companies have easier access to finance, in particular for specialists”.

This type of credit “is essential for carrying out operations that allow companies liquidity and financial management more tailored to their needs,” he said.