Housing. IMF advises Portugal to improve housing supply to curb rising prices

The IMF has advised Portugal to implement measures to increase housing supply, revitalize the rental market, and expand social housing to improve affordability and curb rising prices. Mateusz Szczurek, the IMF's European Department director, noted that supply issues are not unique to Portugal, affecting Spain and other European countries as well. He emphasized that resolving these issues may require significant regulatory work and that the effects of such measures will take time to materialize. Regarding Portugal's budgetary situation, Helge Berger, the IMF's deputy director, praised the country's public accounts performance over the past three years, highlighting a positive trend in the primary balance.