Dear Editor,
It’s a surprise that anyone wants to invest in Portugal.
How can it be that it took 30 years for the Finnish businessman Arto Takala to finally see his design contract for the Casas da Benémola project “formalised”?
I ask this not because I don’t believe it – there are loads of other similar cases – but because it is unacceptable for these kinds of legal matters to drag on for so long, especially in a country like Portugal which is supposed to be developed.
And the truth is that it’s not even certain that the project will move forward yet!
The entrepreneur is facing at least another few months before he finds out if his project will be approved by Loulé council.
It’s not even a matter of whether or not this or that project should be approved. It just shouldn’t take so long for authorities to decide.
The time will come when investors grow tired of waiting and decide to go elsewhere.
Portugal may say it is eager for investment, but these kinds of stories of delays and needless bureaucracy do nothing to make it an attractive destination for investors…
A frustrated businessman from Loulé
Name and address withheld
