PS Secretary General António Costa convened a meeting of his party’s National Commission on Wednesday, which will take place a day after the government submits the 2024 state budget proposal.
According to the call, the meeting of this broad leadership body of the Socialists, scheduled for 9 p.m., at the PS national headquarters, has as its only agenda item the “analysis of the political situation.”
From a partisan perspective, this is the first meeting of a national body after the summer holidays. It takes place eleven months after the last National Commission, and at a time when the government is facing social protests, especially from doctors and teachers. in a situation of inflation and housing crisis.
In addition to the measures already taken in September to increase bonuses and stabilize the value of housing loans over the next two years, the government is preparing in the state budget direct support for rental and housing loans when the effort rate reaches 35% and 55%.
Still in the field of housing, the socialist executive is also negotiating with the tenants’ and owners’ associations on a balanced situation for updating rents, since the inflation that serves as a reference for this update will, if nothing is done, lead to increase in rental prices. of 6.94% in 2024.
On the social level, the government signed an agreement on Saturday with the General Trade Union of Workers (UGT) and with the employers’ organizations Confederation of Peasants of Portugal (CAP), Confederation of Trade and Services of Portugal (CCP) and Confederation of Tourism of Portugal. Portugal (CTP) a strengthening of the income improvement agreement.
The value of the national minimum wage will rise to 820 euros for next year, an increase that António Costa considered “the largest annual increase” ever.
António Costa also stated that the salary update reference for 2024 is also revised in this agreement, increasing to 5%, “now higher than the commitment made for this year” (4.85%).
Last week, in an interview with TVI and CNN/Portugal, the Prime Minister confirmed a 6.05% increase in pensions next year.
From a macroeconomic perspective, the government expects a surplus at the end of this year, growth in 2024 of around 1.5% and a debt decline to less than 100% of gross domestic product by the end of next year.
Source: DN
