EU funds fostered corrupt behavior

Portuguese Minister for Economy admits that the reforms were not communicated as they should have been. He now asks Europe to let Portugal give tax incentives for investment to resume growth.


The Minister for Economy's interview took place during the general strike, the day chosen by Alvaro Santos Pereira to explain the strategy for Portugal to resume its growth. Growth is the only way to reduce the unemployment rate.
The minister acknowledged that the government was unable to effectively communicate many structural reforms, but once the Single Social Tax reduction was removed, the solution is to give "bold" tax incentives to investment. However, this requires that Brussels accepts the end of a few "constraints". Santos Pereira wants to redirect EU funds towards Portugal's reindustrialization and to tackle the "subsidy-dependency and corrupt behavior" that European millions promoted in the past.