Portugal’s Confederation of Trade and Services of Portugal (CCP) has a new president. He is Gustavo Paulo Duarte and he took the helm on Wednesday. (May 13)
Mr. Duarte will replace João Vieira Lopes who held the post for 16 years. Mr. Duarte highlights the growing importance of the services sector to Portugal’s economy and its GDP.
He also said that the chamber’s role is clear: to put the tertiary sector – the segment of the economy that provides services to consumers and businesses rather than producing raw materials or manufactured goods – at the centre of discussions on Portugal’s economy.
The inauguration of the new president who will lead the CCP is scheduled for Wednesday, May 13 and the expectation for the term involves, on the one hand, keeping up the good work done by his predecessor, but also, on the other hand, “looking at what we can improve” in order to give more internal relevance to the trade and services sector.
“What we proposed was to take what has been well done, look at what we can improve, and bring the CCP in line with the reality of the economy and discuss where it should be,” said Paulo Duarte who is the CEO of Transportes – a big player in the Portuguese goods transport and logistics sector.
The new president of the confederation said that despite the prevailing view that Portugal is “an export and industrial country,” it is the tertiary sector that dominates the economy, representing the largest share in terms of branches of activity. And, in addition to its internal importance, the “commerce and services” segment exports a lot and increasingly so, so “the discussion should focus on this.”
The tertiary (services) sector is the dominant driver of Portugal’s economy, accounting for roughly 74% to 76.5% of the Gross Value Added (GVA)/GDP as of 2024–2025. It is the largest employer, providing jobs for approximately 66% to 72% of the active population.
A major component of this sector is tourism and related activities, representing around 66-72% of the economy.
Source: Jornal Económico
ANTÓNIO PEDRO SANTOS/LUSA
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