Portugal better than Germany or the US to do business

The conclusion comes from Forbes magazine, which places the country among the top 20 in the world for the development of business activity next year.

Forbes magazine ranks Portugal among the 20 countries most qualified to do business in 2017, ahead of countries like the United States, the largest global economy, and Germany, the main economy of the Euro Zone.

According to the list, which has 139 nations, Portugal is in 19th place, while Germany ranked 21st, USA 23rd, France 26th and Spain 29th. A list that is led by Sweden and which has 13 more European countries. Italy, the euro's third-largest economy, is in 42nd place.

The United States continues to fall in the ranks,penalized - justifies publication - by bureaucracy and by limitations in monetary freedom of trade. In 2006 - still in the consulate of George W. Bush - the country reached first place in the ranking, before the crisis of 2008 has led the Obama Administration to advance with more than 180 business regulations. And the promised protectionism of President-elect Donald Trump may further worsen the scenario, the magazine estimates.

Portugal leads in individual freedom (it is in the first place) and is also well placed inmonetary freedom (it is the fifth) and freedom of commerce (in theseventh position). Already the stock market performance shoots the country towards the end of the first half of the table, while the protection of the investor puts the country in the middle of the ranking.

The magazine recalls the course taken by the Portuguese economy since joining the CEE until the post-third rescue of the troika, referring to the government of António Costa, as a socialist of the "center left", signaling that it will reverse the cuts of Austerity expenditure, while remaining within the budgetary objectives of the European Union. "

Sweden leads

Sweden climbs four places in a year, reaching the top for the first time, with Forbes referring to the work of deregulation, fiscal restraint and cuts in the social state made inrecent years, as well as the role of technology startups (Skype orSpotify, and Multinationals such as IKEA, Volvo, Ericsson or H &M.

New Zealand, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United Kingdom close, with Sweden, the top 5 of this list. Closing the ranking, as the worst places to carry out business activity, are Chad, Gambia,Haiti, Yemen and Venezuela.

This is the magazine's 11th annual ranking, which examines 11 factors: property rights, innovation,taxes, technology, corruption, freedom (personal, trade and monetary) bureaucracy, investment protection and share holder market performance and taking into account Reports from entities such as the World Bankor the World Economic Forum.

Source: Jornal deNegócios