PAN deputy Inês Sousa Real on Friday found the government’s growth forecasts for 2023 overly optimistic, criticized the conservative line in fiscal policy and admitted Portugal will end this year with a budget surplus.
According to the newspaper Público, the government expects for the coming year a growth of 1.3%, a deficit of 0.9% and an inflation of 4%, with the debt also decreasing to 110.8% of the Gross Domestic Product ( GDP). ).
‘We can end the year with a possible budget surplus’Inês Sousa Real told journalists, although the socialist executive continues to estimate that Portugal will record a deficit of 1.9% by 2022.
Speaking to journalists after being met by Finance Ministers Fernando Medina and Parliamentary Affairs deputy Ana Catarina Mendes, the PAN deputy concluded that, “despite the government’s optimistic growth forecasts for 2023, it is adopting a conservative fiscal maintain policy”.
“It is inconsistent with the need to immediately provide real answers to families and small and medium-sized businesses. The government cannot pretend to shine a light on Europe by demonstrating that it is a good student of correct accounting, but to to do at the expense of families and a fiscal and inflationary suffocation that is currently being felt,” stated Inês Sousa Real.
According to the PAN deputy, Portugal could end this year “with a possible budget surplus.
The PAN delegate stated, among other things, that she pointed out to the government the urgency of effectively combating energy poverty.
“The government, which gives tax exemptions to the polluting industry, must ensure that the energy efficiency program is free of bureaucracy in terms of access to support, and that environmental deductions are also regulated for those who want to improve energy efficiency. their houses”he said, before also pointing out the importance of new public transportation measures, along with the revision of the IRS scales and lowering the IRC to 17%.
“We cannot continue to strangle small and medium-sized businesses and middle-class families”to maintain.
Source: DN
