Brussels, Spt. 24, 2026 (Lusa) - Portugal's minister for the economy said on Thursday that the government «will uphold the principle of balanced accounts» while exploring ways to support sectors affected by rising fuel prices within existing limits.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a meeting of economy ministers in Brussels, Manuel Castro Almeida emphasised that the government was «sensitive to the hardship people are experiencing» due to rising energy prices, but noted that it had taken a «very firm» decision to maintain balanced public finances.
«It would be unthinkable for the country's government not to remain vigilant in the face of these difficult circumstances. But we have a limit: we will uphold the principle of balanced accounts; we will endeavour to maintain a balanced budget in the face of this issue,» he stated.
When asked whether this meant forcing businesses and households into deficit, the minister replied that «these are separate issues» and insisted that the government «must maintain a balanced budget and keep the books in order, because this is very important for households too».
«If the government maintains control, this will strengthen its position. If we avoid a deficit, we will stabilise the debt. If we stabilise the debt, we will help keep interest rates low, and these lower interest rates will ultimately benefit the interest rates that households will have to pay, particularly when buying homes,» he noted.
The minister said the government wanted to avoid this and, «by safeguarding the State Budget and shielding it from a deficit», is also helping prevent «a rise in interest rates».
Asked whether this meant the government was unwilling to provide further support, Castro Almeida did not directly rule out this possibility, merely emphasising that it «has been adapting its decisions to the changing reality».
«There is a limit we have set and wish to maintain, regarding the balance of public accounts. Within that limit, we are making adjustments,» he said, recalling that, last week, the government allocated support to the fire service, private social care organisations (IPSS) and «particularly vulnerable sectors».
«This shows that it is attentive and has been regularly taking complementary measures,» he said.
When confronted, however, with the fact that various sectors claim the support the government has provided is insufficient, as evidenced by a slow-moving convoy of lorries scheduled for Friday, Castro Almeida retorted: «But have you ever heard any sector say that the support was sufficient?» «They will never say that. The government must have policies, metrics, objectives and guidelines; therefore, it is not simply because people say the support is insufficient… People rarely say the support is sufficient,» he emphasised.
In the case of transport, however, the minister noted that «the cabinet is also considering this matter today», without providing further details.
When asked specifically when he expects the €38 million package announced last week to support taxis, the fire service and the social sector to be made available, Castro Almeida acknowledged that «there have been some operational difficulties in getting the money out».
«But the money has been approved and is available to reach the people to whom it has been allocated,» he said, whilst acknowledging that he is unable to give a precise date at this stage.
During these remarks to journalists, Castro Almeida was also asked when the government intends to submit the final payment request for the Recovery and Resilience Plan, which must be submitted by the end of the month.
«The end of the month is next week, and we will submit it within the deadline. We will submit a payment request for the full amount allocated to Portugal: 100% of the PRR to which Portugal is entitled,» the minister replied.
TA/ADB // ADB.
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