NRP Portugal

|Responsetorecommendation1:• Thegreatmajority(83%)oftheNSRFcommunityfundsisdirectedtowardstheLisbonStrategypriorities;• Thereformofthebudgetprocessincourse,aimingatitsstructuringbyprogramme,inordertostructurallyimprovethepublicexpenditurecapacityandbeeffectivelychannelledtowardstheactivitiesthatstimulatetheeconomicgrowthpotential.Mainresultsalreadyobtained:• Reorientationofpublicexpendituretowardsinnovation,scienceandtechnology;theMinistryofScienceandTechnologyandHigherEducationallocationtoinvestmentinScienceandTechnologyincreased61%in2007and14%in2008.• Thereductionofthedeficitby3.5percentagepoints(p.p.)oftheGDPseenin2006and2007(from6.1%to2.6%oftheGDP).• ThedecreaseoftheweightofthepublicexpenditureonGDP(1.9p.p.ofGDP,i.e.,from47.7%to45.8%).• ThereductionoftheweightofthepublicdebtintheGDP,inlinewiththeevolutionofthebudgetdeficit,standingat63.6%(‐1.1p.p.thanin2006),interruptingtheevolutioningrowthseeninthepastsixyears.• Corporateinvestmentisestimatedtohaveincreased1.5%in2006and14.7%in2007.2.IMPROVEQUALIFICATIONS:BOOSTINGSTANDARDSOFCOMPETENCEACQUISITIONLIFELONGLEARNING 5 Recommendation:“(…)Tocontinuetotakemeasurestosignificantlyimprovetheefficiencyof the education system, namely through the increase of the qualification levels ofyouth,fightingagainsttheearlydroppingoutfromschoolandprovidingavocationaltrainingsystemthatisadaptedtothelabourmarketneedsandthatisbaseduponthe“NationalQualificationsFramework”ThepledgeinthequalificationofthePortuguesepopulationcontinuestorepresentanessentialstrategicchallengeforthepromotionofthecountry’seconomicgrowthand social cohesion. The urgency in the recovery of the deficits in education andtraining,accumulatedoverseveralyearsandthesignificantreductionofearlyschoolleaving, led the Government to embark on a wide set of reforms that include thedifferent levels of education and the vocational training system. To increase theirimpact,differentpublicandprivateentitieshavealsobeenmobilised.5 Complete information with measures Part II, 5.1. Qualifications and results Part III, employmentlevel, qualifications section.7