After declaring war on bureaucracy in June, the Portuguese government is moving forward with the launch of a ‘one-stop-shop for businesses’ and the revision of several construction licensing processes, including urban planning permits, to shorten approval times.
The announcement was made by Gonçalo Matias, Deputy Minister for Reform of the State, during the PSD Summer University conference in Castelo de Vide on Saturday, August 30.
Speaking at the event, Matias said the main goal of the planned State reform is to “make life easier for people and businesses.”
“It is about the State stepping aside and letting people and companies work,” the minister said, adding that many bureaucratic procedures only exist to charge fees.
During his speech, Matias outlined the first steps taken by the new ministry in its first month, including the creation of the CTO (Chief Technology Officer) position for the State, and then unveiled upcoming measures such as the new one-stop shop for businesses. Unlike the existing entrepreneurial service, this initiative aims to centralise communication, providing businesses with a single point of contact in the administration. “It will allow us to have one voice, one face, channelling requests to all relevant services,” he said.
Highlighting the scale of bureaucracy in Portugal, the minister cited studies showing that opening a company in Portugal takes 356 hours, with an additional 391 hours of administrative obligations in the first year, totalling roughly 750 hours. As he explained, anyone starting a business in Portugal begins with a “four-month delay compared to countries like Poland or Slovakia”.
The government also plans to revise industrial, environmental and urban licensing, with urban permits expected to be addressed soon. According to the minister, there is a need for shorter and more predictable timelines, as no one is able to currently give accurate estimates for permit approvals. In many cases, businesses may just need to notify the authorities of their plans, and if no response is received within the deadline, the project will be automatically approved.“One of the pillars of state reform is trust,” he said. “We cannot assume people are trying to deceive us; we must trust them, while holding accountable those who fail to comply.”
Addressing concerns about the government’s lack of communication regarding these plans, Matias acknowledged that reform will be gradual. “You cannot undo 50 years of bureaucracy in two or three months,” he said, emphasising that the changes are intended to be deep and meaningful, not “cosmetic” or “political marketing”. He also criticised past Socialist governments for leaving “a slower country, a country that steals opportunities.”
Matias also reassured the public that the reform will not involve public sector layoffs and acknowledged the challenge of retaining highly qualified talent in Portugal while urging young attendees to not lose hope. “Do not abandon the country. Do not think that Portugal is just exporting talent – it is also attracting talent”.
