The prime minister on Wednesday defended the tax and residency regime granted to so-called digital nomads living in the country, as it is essential that Portugal remains open to the world and attracts technological investment for its modernization and development.
This point of view was conveyed to journalists by António Costa, at the end of a nearly two-hour visit to the exhibition pavilions of startups present at the Web Summit, at the Lisbon Industrial Fair (FIL), in which he was accompanied by the Minister of Economics, Antonio Costa, Silva.
Asked about the special tax and residence scheme granted by the Portuguese state to the so-called “digital nomads” – young people connected to technologies whose arrival in the country could increase the price of housing in the country’s main cities -, the Prime Minister thought it essential that Portugal is an attractive country and not closed to the world.
“Either we want to be a country that is closed to the world, and that kills our history, culture and calling; or we want to be what we have become, an open country, where everyone feels welcome, where everyone is their life projects.” he replied.
These schemes, aimed at attracting investments and young international employees, are ‘an added value that the country must maintain’ from the manager’s perspective.
“We need to know how to welcome and we need to nurture. If we want to be an increasingly innovative country, with companies growing on a global scale, it is essential to have this dynamism,” he reinforced.
The executive’s leader later noted that Portugal already has “seven unicorns” — tech companies worth more than US$1 billion — and said the Lisbon Chamber, led by Social Democrat Carlos Moedas, said “the great has ambition to turn the city into a unicorn factory”.
“Many companies that were small startups, not knowing whether they would make it or not, grew and consolidated in the most diverse fields, namely in aerospace or life sciences. The conversations you had during your visit to the Web summit.
“I have been told that some of these digital nomads are already buying a house in Portugal. We actually have an open program so that we can be a factor in locating these digital nomads, just like we have a program to promote foreign direct investment. strategic investment in Portugal, it also does on a contract basis,” he emphasized.
According to António Costa, Portugal is “increasingly attractive” – in the first half of this year it “has once again reached an all-time high in contracted investment”.
“There is a new reality that has to do with international business”
“These companies help us create a society with more jobs. Above all, they help us create better jobs, with better working conditions and better wages,” he insisted.
In the presence of journalists, still regarding digital nomads, António Costa indicated that “there is a new reality related to international entrepreneurship”, which explains the “attractiveness” of the country in “accelerating the provision of visas for those who want to come to Portugal to live, or to invest in the creation of technology companies, or to develop their activity”.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has shown that Portugal is particularly attractive to the so-called digital nomads, as the country has done well in dealing with this crisis and has a very high level of security, as it is an excellent place for those seeking a professional activity that should not be recorded at one point,” he claimed.
The seventh edition of the Web Summit has more than 70,000 participants, 2,630 startups and companies, 1,120 investors and 1,040 speakers.
Born in Ireland in 2010, the technology event began in 2016 in Lisbon’s Parque das Nações area and will remain in the Portuguese capital until 2028.
Source: DN
