Portugal’s Deputy Prime Minister today was trying his utmost to convince investors and entrepreneurs that Portugal is "a good destination to travel to, or invest in."
"This is the time to look carefully at Portugal," said Paulo Portas addressing the Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for Industry and Entrepreneurship, Antonio Tajani, who arrived in Portugal with a delegation of more than 800 businessmen from around the world.
"It's time to invest in Portugal, Portugal has done the work to become a competitive place in which to invest," according to an energised Portas.
Antonio Tajani responded by saying "I'm here because I believe in Portugal and in the Portuguese," adding, perhaps surprisingly, that it is "Europe's duty to contribute to the growth of Portugal."
At the "Europe 2020 Strategy for Growth" conference taking place in Lisbon today, Portas listed the progress that Portugal has made since the crisis began, noting that "the Portuguese had made demanding sacrifices," (as if they had a choice) but toned his approach down a little by suggesting that "the turning economic cycle indicates the possibility of having moderate confidence in our business and economic behaviour."
The deputy prime minister said the country’s departure from a technical recession, the decline in the unemployment rate, the increased revenues from tourism and the increase in exports all led him to predict that 2013 will be "the best year ever" judging by these indicators.
To convince investors, should any remain unconvinced by his description of such an Utopian republic, Paulo Portas described a Portugal with "a unique strategic location; economic, cultural and political relations with markets which speak Portuguese such as Brazil, Angola and Mozambique; trained human resources, flexible, high quality logistics infrastructure, office space and a favourable environment for business."
As of this was not enough to wow the audience, Portas described a country with “hard working people, sun, beach, sea, golf, surfing, good health facilities, good roads, security and great food," therefore Portugal is "a good destination to travel to, or invest in," concluded Paulo Portas.
