The economy minister defended on Wednesday that the country will not overcome the usual paradigm of economic growth if it does not get out of the “Portugal dos Pequeninos syndrome” and warned of difficulties in 2023, due to the likely recession in Germany.
“The country will not overcome the problem of economic growth if it does not get out of this syndrome in which we find ourselves in Portugal dos Pequeninos”said the Minister of Economy and the Sea, António Costa Silva, during a joint hearing of the Parliamentary Committees on Budget and Finance and on Economy, Public Works, Planning and Housing, especially in the context of the analysis of the state Budget proposal for 2023 (OE2023).
The official stressed the importance of transforming the productive profile of the Portuguese economy, with a focus on innovation and technological development.
“Without the little one [empresas] are average, we are not going away, say, the usual paradigms of growth”emphasized Costa Silva.
The economy minister also warned of a “very difficult” year for 2023, despite “some resilience in Portuguese industry and the productive system”, due to the likely economic recession in Germany.
“The German chemical industry is one of the lungs of world industry, […] produces a range of components that power multiple industries and, when it collapses, […] we can also have problems with the functioning of logistics chains”warned the governor.
António Costa Silva also reiterated the value that Sines can have throughout the battery value chain, recalling the approximately 1,100 million euros foreseen in the energy transition budget, despite the energy constraints caused by the war.
“Our offshore wind source [no mar] has a power that is very attractive, [é preciso] transform this into prosperity and energy creation in the country and the country can perfectly be a renewable energy export hub for the future,” said Costa Silva.
The minister also pointed to fiscal measures included in the budget, such as abolishing the deadline for deducting tax losses and doubling the amount that can be taxed in the IRC at 17%.
EUROPEAN FUNDS
The economy minister guarantees that the government’s commitment to the implementation of European funds is “total”, pointing out that 4,400 million of the 5,000 million PT2020 earmarked for companies, through the incentive systems, have already been implemented.
“Our commitment to the implementation of the funds is total, there is a great coherence in the government, it is one of the big tasks for which we are responsible. Portugal used to implement about 2,500 to 3,000 million euros a year, we will be more than twice and therefore requires commitment from all of us”on Wednesday, the Minister of the Economy and the Sea, António Costa Silva, said in a joint hearing of the parliamentary committees for Budget and Finance and for Economy, Public Works, Planning and Housing, in particular in the context of the analysis of the proposal to the national budget for 2023 (OE2023).
The official answered the question of Commissioner Jorge Botelho (PS) when he pointed out that, specifically with regard to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, under the PT2020 operational program about 20%, which corresponds to EUR 5,000 million, was earmarked for companies, through the incentive systems, of which 4,400 million have already been implemented.
“The PR [Programa de Recuperação e Resiliência] It is completely different from European funds, it has very clear goals and objectives, which is being negotiated with the European Commission, there are about 38 targets for 2022, I think we will be able to achieve them”said the ruler.
Portugal submitted the first payment request to the European Commission in April, under the PRR, which has already been paid, and the second request in September, which is pending Commission approval.
So far, only Spain has received the second payout from the PRR, but the minister said he believes the second request will also get the payment agreement.
As for the PRR’s mobilizing agendas, which are projects in consortium between companies, universities and training centers, Costa Silva said the implementation of the program is six months ahead of what was envisioned in the plan.
“Of the 51 agendas, we have already signed contracts with 30, […]🇧🇷 About 12 million euros have been implemented, by the end of the year we will have reached about 208 million euros in payments”said the minister.
Asked by Deputy Filipe Melo (Chega) about an irreparable divergence with the Minister of Finance, Fernando Medina, because he had defended the transversal reduction in corporate tax for companies, with which Medina did not agree, Costa Silva thought it was a “debate for free.” “, common at a time of budget discussions.
“There was a phase of debate and discussion about the state budget. The state budget is defined at this point, so it’s a commitment that has been made and it’s my duty to work within that commitment”said the Minister of Economic Affairs.
Faced with Filipe Melo’s insistence on the question, António Costa Silva replied: “Sir, I sometimes have disagreements with myself”.
Still questioned by Chega about what they consider to be inconsistencies in the minister’s statements when he headed the oil company Partex, the minister emphasized that he “always” championed mapping the country’s natural resources so that decided which of them to develop, within the sustainability paradigm.
“My thinking is immutable with regard to natural resources: […] countries that ignore them are ignoring one of the “levers of development”considered the ruler.
Finally, with regard to the problems with the supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Nigeria, Costa Silva emphasized the importance of diversifying sources of supply, with an emphasis on countries in the Atlantic basin, such as Trinidad and Tobago or Equatorial Guinea.
“Yesterday [terça-feira]”I met with the Canadian mission, which is also interested in developing LNG exports,” said the minister.
WEEK OF 4 DAYS
The economy minister ruled on Wednesday that the Portuguese productive fabric is heterogeneous, making it possible to accept the model of four days of work a week in some companies, such as technological, but “more difficult”, for example, in industry.
“The issue of the four-day week has been the subject of intense debate in the Social Dialogue. […] What I can say at this point is that we have heterogeneity in our productive fabric and the pandemic crisis has changed people’s relationship with work.”began with the statement by the Minister of Economy and the Sea, António Costa Silva, at a joint hearing of the Parliamentary Committees on Budget and Finance and on Economy, Public Works, Planning and Housing, in the context of the analysis, in particular of the budget proposal for central government for 2023 (OE2023).
The official answered questions from Deputy Rui Tavares (Livre), when he believed that the four-day event “is a model that can be accepted in technology companies”, but, for example, “in industrial companies it is more difficult to accept this model”.
“I think we have to be flexible and keep the paths open. […] Let’s see if we can come to an agreement, but it’s one of the great debates of our time, [a forma] how the paradigm changes work”the minister added.
After all, the pilot project of the four-day working week in public administration will be carried out “parallel” with the private sector and not at a later stage, Secretary of State Inês Ramires said last week.
“Any type of research into the organization of working time reflected in pilot projects of the four-day week will be conducted in parallel with the private sector and not at a later date”the State Secretary for Public Administration told journalists in parliament, after a hearing as part of the discussion in the specialty of the OE2023 proposal.
Inês Ramires explained that the document presented on November 2 during the social dialogue by the Ministry of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security will be corrected to clarify this.
“At that time in the Social Dialogue it was indicated that it was at a later stage, but [o documento] will be corrected,” said Inês Ramires.
The document presented at the Social Dialogue predicts that the four-day week pilot project will start in June 2023 in private companies, expanding to the public sector only in a “second phase” and only if there is a “satisfactory evolution”. is.
The Secretary of State explained that after all, in the public administration, the project will not depend on the results of the private sector, but that both will take place “in parallel”, she emphasized, however without specifying a deadline for starting the project in the state.
Inês Ramires said a new study, identical to that of 2020, will be conducted on the organization of working time, so that it can be understood later how to develop the project.
In the document presented during the social mediation, the government explained that the project would be in the public administration for a second phase, as the sector “requires adaptation of impact assessment tools” and is subject to “various legal and budgetary constraints”.
Source: DN
