Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Sky News - Portugal: Review For Bailout Money Completed


Amid growing austerity pains the Portuguese government says its bailout review is complete, ahead of the next EU-IMF tranche.


Spanish workers stage an austerity protest in Madrid
Disquiet has spread in Portugal over austerity measures imposed

Portugal's government has said its EU and IMF lenders have concluded work on the latest bailout review, ahead of Lisbon’s receiving its next rescue tranche.
It indicated that there were no outstanding obstacles for Lisbon to receive the next 2bn-euro (£1.68bn) lifeline.
The review, which had been practically sealed in March, hit a snag early last month when the constitutional court threw out some of this year's austerity measures.
But the government presented a plan to compensate for those, along with wider deficit reduction steps until 2015 worth 4.8bn euros (£4bn).
Representatives of the lenders were in Lisbon last week to pore over the spending cuts.
"The cabinet met today to be briefed on the completion of the works related to the seventh evaluation and confirm the conditions necessary to seal it," the government said in a statement after an extraordinary cabinet briefing.
Finance minister Vitor Gaspar will present the final terms at the meetings of EU and eurozone finance ministers that begin in Brussels on Monday, it said.
By getting its deficit-reduction plan back on track, Portugal also expects to get a full EU approval this week for an extension of its rescue loan maturities, which is aimed and helping it regain full access to the debt market.
Portugal last week issued its first 10-year bond since the bailout, which brought its debt yields to their lowest levels since 2010.
Still, concerns remain over the country's deep recession, growing opposition to the austerity programme mandated under the bailout and unemployment levels.

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