Miranda Sarmento, who was being heard at the Budget, Finance and Public Administration Committee (Cofap), as part of a regulatory hearing, was questioned by deputies Rui Afonso do Chega, and Bernardo Blanco da IL, about privatisations of public companies specifically from TAP.

"We currently have no intention of revisiting the shareholdings [of the State in public companies]", the Minister of Finance began by saying, highlighting that this exercise "can eventually be done" but that, at the moment, with the exception of TAP, "that the Government intends to privatise", there is no sign of "any further process of this nature".

Regarding the TAP sale process, Miranda Sarmento refused to commit to deadlines and conditions, emphasising that this is part of the negotiation process and adding that privatisation revenues are not public revenues in national accounting – they cannot be used to reduce the public deficit.

Regarding TAP, he only said that the "Government, in due time, will decide on the 'timing' and conditions for the company's privatisation."