The PSD chairman said Friday that he “doesn’t care” if the government of António Costa “gets in tow” with the social emergency measures proposed by the Social Democrats, because it shows that they are on the “right track” is.
“If the PS and the government follow the PSD, they are on the right track”Luís Montenegro told journalists during a visit to AgroSemana – Feira Agrícola do Norte, in Póvoa de Varzim, in the Porto district.
The Social Democrat recalled that since April he has been warning the government of the need to adopt social support measures that can overcome the difficulties that befall people’s lives, such as the rise in the prices of food, gas, fuels and electricity.
“Unfortunately, until now we have had a government with great social insensitivity, which always pushes things forward and leaves the presentation of some measures until the end of the year, which we are still waiting to know what they are”he emphasized.
On the day the PSD presented its social emergency program worth about 1.5 billion euros, one of the proposed measures of which is the reduction of VAT on energy to the minimum rate (6%), Luís Montenegro emphasized that the aim is that the most affected families can have some support from the state to cope with their daily problems.
“We have taken the initiative to propose this to the country and we do not care if the Socialist Party and the government take the PSD in tow,” he said.
The Social Democrat assumed that he felt the need to implement the support plan for families, businesses and institutions in line with budgetary developments.
Luís Montenegro insisted that the PSD does not contribute to increasing the government deficit because it does not benefit from the surplus of taxes levied on individuals, families and companies.
“We are talking about a surplus over what was already greater in terms of revenue collection compared to the previous year. We are talking about a budget surplus,” he clarified.
Specifically about lowering the VAT rate on electricity, gas and fuel to 6%, the PSD chairman recalled that until recently, the PS government always said that this was not possible due to European restrictions.
However, Montenegro believed that “inexplicably across Europe” all governments have taken exactly this measure in recent months.
The European Union is not preventing countries from lowering the VAT rate on energy products, an “excuse” the government used for not doing so, he concluded.
Source: DN
