Lisbon, June 17, 2026 (Lusa) - The minister of infrastructure and housing argued on Wednesday that Portugal's state-owned infrastructure company, Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP), should be given greater freedom to carry out the investments assigned to it.

Miguel Pinto Luz attended the company’s 11th anniversary celebrations in Almada, on the south bank of the river Tagus in Lisbon, and argued that IP should have greater autonomy to carry out the projects assigned to it, noting that it is frequently mandated to carry out investments but lacks the necessary freedom to proceed swiftly.

“We must, once and for all, grant this great organisation the freedom – accompanied by responsibility – to carry out its work swiftly and effectively,” he stated.

In his speech, the minister assured that the continuity and strengthening of IP are a priority for the government, rejecting the idea that the company should be used as a tool for political disputes.

Pinto Luz assured that the government would continue to support the company in the public and political spheres, emphasising his confidence in the technical ability of its staff to deliver the planned investments.

On the same occasion, IP’s chairman, Paulo Carmona, stated that the company had entered a new phase focused on increasing the implementation of investments, announcing a public tool to monitor projects.

In his first address as IP’s chairman, Paulo Carmona argued that the organisation must become “simpler in its ambitions, make better decisions, execute better and respond better”, noting that the country is going through a “decisive decade” for infrastructure development.

“We are not here merely to continue a project. We are here to demand better results, greater implementation and a better way of dealing with the future,” he declared.

Paulo Carmona also argued that transparency is essential to strengthen public confidence, emphasising that the aim is to provide information on what has already been studied, what is under development and the expected deadlines for the completion of projects.

IP, which was formed from the merger of REFER – the National Railway Network – and the road network, EP – Estradas de Portugal, is responsible for managing road infrastructure and provides the public service of managing the infrastructure forming part of the National Railway Network (RFN).

IP, whose sole shareholder is the Portuguese State, falls under the remit of the ministry of infrastructure and housing and the ministry of finance.

PYR/AYLS // AYLS

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