Prime Minister calls on the diaspora to invest in Portugal

The Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro claimed that the Portuguese diaspora "is one of the main pillars" of Portugal's economic and social development, asking for an increase in investment and ties to Portugal at the opening of the Portugal Nação Global [Global Nation] at the Belém Cultural Centre in Lisbon.

Global community as a strategic asset

Enhancing the Portuguese community spread throughout the world was at the core of the Prime Minister's speech; he stressed the role of the around five million Portuguese people and Portuguese descendants as "an example of integration and accomplishment".

Luís Montenegro stressed that "Portugal doesn't run out in its territory alone", claiming the country's universal vocation and the importance of the global network of Portuguese people as a cohesion, innovation, and growth factor.

A call on investment and partnerships

The speech centred around inviting the diaspora to actively take part in the national economy with a direct call on investment and the creation of partnerships: "we want everyone who came here to look at Portugal and to be able to invest in Portugal."

The Prime Minister advocated that the Portuguese people abroad should become "true ambassadors" for the country's entrepreneurial and innovative capabilities, contributing to attracting investment and the economy's international expansion.

Competitive economy, energy, and taxation

Luís Montenegro noted the recent economic indicators, referring to the consolidation of financial credibility with budget stability and a growth in household income, as well as economic performance above the EU average.

The Prime Minister mentioned competitiveness factors such as security and safety, economic stability, investing in the energy and digital transitions, and lowering energy costs, claiming that Portugal is "competitive, modern, and capable of competing with the most dynamic [countries] in the world".

The Government's priorities to boost the country's attractiveness include administrative simplification and cutting red tape, a tax policy that is favourable to labour and companies, a boost in energy autonomy with lower costs and support for investment and corporate funding.

In this context, he highlighted that Portugal is currently "highly competitive" from an energy standpoint and presents the lowest energy costs in the European Union, stressing that energy autonomy in this sector is a sovereignty and competitiveness factor by cutting down external dependence and favouring attracting investment.

The tax policy in force was also indicated as an element to strengthen the country's attractiveness by reducing the load on labour and companies and setting better conditions for investment and enhancing human capital.

The role of institutions such as AICEP and the Portuguese Development Bank was also reinforced in supporting investment, internationalisation, and corporate funding, fostering more equitable conditions for their activity.

Development cohesion, and social justice

The Head of Government indicated the connection between economic growth, social justice, and territorial cohesion, advocating a balanced distribution of investment in the country.

He also noted that economic development can contribute to "more peace, more progress, and more justice", indicating Portugal's role in fostering balanced and sustainable international relations.

Forum as a starting point

Luís Montenegro showed his confidence in the meeting's outcomes encouraging the creation of networks, concrete projects and investments.

The Prime Minister concluded by calling for a collective mobilisation of the global Portuguese community to boost economic growth innovation, and Portugal's international presence: "I hope that the contact list exchanged here is inspiring and a tad more than that; that it may be the seed for the projects that will then lead to good investments and more growth for Portugal and our community."