The Finance Minister, Joaquim Miranda Sarmento, assured on Monday that the Portuguese economy will continue to record surpluses in the coming years and expects an economic growth rate exceeding 2%.
“We will continue to have surpluses in the coming years,” stated the Finance Minister in remarks to journalists in Brussels, broadcast by RTP3. He further anticipated a “surplus of 0.3 this year and 0.1 in 2026.” Economic growth is also projected to be “above 2%” this year.
Regarding international trade, the minister emphasized that “Europe must consider its interests, but seek to reach an understanding so that there is no imposition of tariffs or, if there are, that they are more mitigated.”
“Tariffs harm economies, companies, and consumers,” he concluded.
When asked about the issue of alleged improper collection of Municipal Property Tax (IMI) from landlords with rental contracts signed before 1990, the minister said clarifications had already been requested from the Tax Authority (AT).
The situation involves landlords with rental contracts signed before 1990.
The Portuguese economy grew by 1.6% year-on-year in the first three months of the year and contracted by 0.5% compared to the previous quarter, according to the flash estimate released last week by the National Institute of Statistics (INE).
Economists consulted by the agency Lusa predicted a slowdown in the growth of the Portuguese economy in the first quarter of the year, but not as severe, pointing to year-on-year GDP growth rates between 2.4% and 2.8% in the first quarter and between 0.1% and 0.6% in sequential comparison.
The IMF revised downward its forecasts for Portugal’s GDP growth this year to 2%, compared to its October estimate of 2.3%, and below the government’s projections.
In the State Budget proposal for 2025, the government estimates GDP growth of 2.1% in 2025.
[Updated news at 13:33]
