Portugal, which is placed in containment since about 7 days for a minimum duration of 1 month. At the time of the announcement by the government of the implementation of the containment, the Minister of the Economy announced that various measures were put in place to support the companies which had to close following the containment except that the coffers of the state are empty.

Portugal has no money to pay business aid

The Portuguese Confederation of Enterprises (CIP) argued on Thursday that the country does not have the financial capacity to compensate businesses for losses due to containment.

Rafael Campos Pereira, vice-president of the CIP, admits that given the current state of the pandemic, measures are needed to reduce the risk of contagion. To this end, the CIP advocates the adoption of "more rational" rather than "extreme" containment, as well as increased screening, vaccination and isolation of positive cases.

Still according to Rafael Campos Pereira, it's hard to believe that public transport is not the source of the 87% contagions from which we don't know where they came". The CIP also noted that, since April, they have proposed the adoption of measures to capitalize companies, as well as capital injections, suggestions which, according to the Confederation, have only been taken into account this month.

As such, the government today announced the creation of a credit line in which 20 % of the amount borrowed can be converted into non-refundable grants for companies". For the CIP, the terms of these loans appear "less favorable", although it notes that it is unclear whether there are any constraints on converting the amounts into grants.