LISBON, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- The European Commission revised down on Thursday its forecast for the growth of the Portuguese economy this year to 1.7 percent, lower than the government's forecast of 2.2 percent.
In its winter forecasts released on Thursday, the European Commission lowered its growth forecast for Portugal's gross domestic product (GDP) to 1.7 percent this year, compared to the 1.8 percent growth in its autumn forecasts released in November last year.
However, the Portuguese government has maintained its economic growth forecast of 2.2 percent of GDP for this year.
The Portuguese economy has been growing steadily in recent years after the country exited in May 2014 the 78-billion-euro bailout program with the European Union, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank following three years of harsh austerity.
