Portugal’s Economy Minister, Manuel Caldeira Cabral, said the country’s Government expects the economy to improve soon and thereby enhance prospects for growth in 2016.

“The second and third quarters of this year should show a better performance of the economy so we are hoping that during the year growth prospects improve,” Mr Cabral stated in an interview with financial news service Bloomberg.

The Portuguese Government has forecast the country’s gross domestic product will expand by 1.8 percent in 2016.

“We’re working to achieve those targets but of course that will always depend on global growth,” Mr Cabral told Bloomberg.