Diaspora has invested over 153ME in Portugal in the last three years

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The Secretary of State for Portuguese Communities, Paulo Cafôfo, said today that the diaspora has invested in Portugal, since 2020, more than 153 million euros (ME), the result of more than 130 projects, especially in the interior of the country.

At the II Forum of the Support Offices for Emigrants and Diaspora Investment, taking place today in Mangualde, district of Viseu, the governor presented “very interesting results” of the National Program to Support Diaspora Investment (PNAID), created in August 2020.

“We have already attributed more than 260 Diaspora investor statutes. We have supported more than 130 projects, which correspond to a potential of more than 153 million euros of investment in Portugal, especially in the country’s interior,” he highlighted.

In this sense, he said that the Government has “so far been able to create a favorable environment for Diaspora investment in Portugal” with “mechanisms and initiatives that help people to return and invest.

Diaspora has invested over 153ME in Portugal in the last three years

The connection of the Portuguese communities to the country, defended the governor, “is crucial for the expansion of the language, culture, and also for the economic and business development and the affirmation of Portugal in an international context.

“Our diaspora, which is so special, is a preponderant asset, I would even say a decisive asset. We often tend not to value or give the due importance to the future of the country, which depends a lot on our diaspora,” he pointed out.

This, because, “it can make an essential contribution to issues such as the economy, demography, or even the amplitude of the country in this globalized world” and, for this reason, “the Portuguese Diaspora is decisive and should be valued and enhanced.

Currently, he said, there are “five million Portuguese and Lusodescendants and this is definitely a great strength” and also, in a “less tangible but equally or even more important” dimension, are “the affective ties” to Portugal.

“For Portuguese Lusodescendants living abroad investing in Portugal is a way to maintain and strengthen ties with their country of origin, and while strengthening ties they also contribute to its economic growth,” he said.

In this sense, he argued that “the focus” should be on this “reciprocal give-and-take relationship” and, therefore, the Government “is committed to deepen this reciprocity and to value and enhance this tremendous strategic value with public policies.

Policies in areas such as citizenship, inclusion, equality, education, culture, Portuguese language, science and technology, administrative modernization, digitalization, entrepreneurship, and innovation, “where the diaspora is striking and makes a difference.

Paulo Cafôfo also underlined the “strengthening of support mechanisms for Diaspora Investors” together with other entities, local authorities or associations, and highlighted the increase in the number of support offices.

“We created the Diaspora Investor Support Network involving more than 300 entities: 248 municipalities, 20 intermunicipal communities/metropolitan areas, six investment agencies and 37 associations. Today we have 202 Emigrant Support Offices, when, in 2015, we had 101,” he praised.

In other words, there is “73% coverage in the municipalities of the national territory, reaching 92% in the north and 90% in the center” and “50% of intermunicipal communities have Emigrant Support Offices in all municipalities.

The Secretary of State assumed that the Government is “more ambitious” and, therefore, said that the goal is to “reinforce the implementation of the program and expand the network of support offices” and, today, also signed a protocol with the municipality of Valença.

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