Prime Minister, António Costa, claimed that the "good results" of the economy and lower unemployment figures "are not just chance, but the result of government policy."António Costa was visiting the tourism fair in Lisbon and used the occassion to roll out the cheery statistics that the Portuguese economy grew by 2.7% in 2017 and that the unemployment rate was down to 8.0% - taking full credit for his administration and its popular 'anti-austerity' programme.
“The sustainability of the decline in unemployment depends on the growth of the economy and therefore it is absolutely essential that we continue the good policies that have allowed us to have these good results," said the smiley one.
According to the PM, these good results "are certainly the work of economic agents, but they are also the result of the good policies that the Government has pursued.”
According to the PM, these good results "are certainly the work of economic agents, but they are also the result of the good policies that the Government has pursued.”
"These policies," António Costa continued, "have ensured macroeconomic stability which has allowed the country to exit the excessive deficit procedure, see its international credit rating improved and debt interest reduced."
"But it also has made it possible to improve family incomes and investment conditions for businesses. It is this effort and these policies that we must continue with to grow economically," exhorted the PM.
"What has allowed us to sustain growth has been, above all, exports and private investment. We have to continue to focus on growth based on exports, now for this to happen it is fundamental that this investment in innovation exists," he said, not mentioning the burgeoning national debt.
António Costa sees handouts from the EU as a big source of investment, one that he sees increasing this year.
The growth in tourism, a key export that leads the economic field, is not only due to Costa’s policies as many of Portugal's former tourism competitors are struck from people’s holiday list due to the very real fear of terrorism.
Portugal remains a safe destination and should strive to remain too small and politically insignificant to feature on terrorists’ ‘to do’ list.
