The Portuguese government would be continuing with its economic stimulus packages to help the ailing economy move ahead, Prime Minister Jose Socrates has indicated. While outlining his government’s economic program, the socialist premier who won the election in September to begin his second term in helm stressed that it would be a grave error to withdraw packages in place as the recession effects are still visible. Let’s move on priority areas: the TGV between Lisbon and Madrid and Lisbon Porto-Figo. We need to launch the new airport south of Lisbon and get on with the national road plan, he said. Socrates added that it is the state’s duty to assist with unemployment in Portugal running at a 30-year high. Opposition leader Manuela Ferreira Leite expressed concern on the country’s already unsustainable debt burden. Speaking in parliament she said: We are looking at the government program with the same suspicion we looked at their manifesto, because it was designed to win votes and not be implemented.