LISBON: The country’s central bank said that Portugal’s economy will expand faster than previous year as export growth strengthened. The gross domestic product will rise 1.7 percent in 2015, 1.9 percent in 2016. In December, it forecast 1.5 percent for 2015 and 1.6 percent for 2016.
Portugal, which received a bailout in 2011, when it was exited the aid plan without the safety net of a precautionary credit line. Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho said that he hopes the economy will grow more this year than the 1.5 percent pace forecast by the government.
He added that The government aims to narrow the budget deficit to less than the EU’s limit of 3 percent of gross domestic product in 2015.
