Portuguese Prime Minister José Sócrates has announced plans to delay some major public projects in order to reduce the country's public deficit this year.
The Portuguese government has said it will reduce the deficit this year to 7.3% of GDP.
Portugal is struggling to fend off comparisons to Greece and expects to be under the EU limit of 3% by 2013.
The projects expected to be affected include the construction of a new airport at Lisbon and a third bridge over the river Tage, which is aimed at accommodating a future high-speed train link between the Portuguese capital and Madrid.
Struggling with tepid growth, debt-laden Portugal is seen as vulnerable to the sort of crippling speculative market pressure that has hobbled Greece.
Last week ratings agency Standard & Poor's downgraded Portugal's credit rating owing to concerns about fiscal and economic weaknesses.
Analysts maintain that Portuguese solvency is not under threat.
