The Liberal Initiative will propose the withdrawal of the increase in the Single Circulation Tax (IUC) in the budget process and says it distrusts the Ministry of Finance’s guarantees that there will be an annual increase limit of 25 euros.
Speaking to journalists in parliament, Il President Rui Rocha stressed that it was his party, a week ago, that was the first to “expose the absolute fiscal injustice” of the increase in the IUC imposed before 2007 vehicles was provided for in the proposed state budget for 2024.
“In the biweekly debate I had the opportunity to invite the Prime Minister to go back on that measure (…) António Costa had a week to make a U-turn and to this day he remains to that intention. Therefore, the IL will, within the scope of the budget process, submit a proposal to withdraw the IUC increase,” announced.
Rui Rocha also said that the party will then begin a structural reflection “on taxes on real estate, income and vehicles” as “there is blatant fiscal inequality and injustice on several points.”
The IL leader regretted that Prime Minister and Finance Minister Fernando Medina had not been sensitive to criticism from opposition parties, environmental associations or mayors, saying that even on the PS bench “there is a group of people who have already spoken out about the injustice” of the measure.
“The Ministry of Finance itself today guaranteed that there will be no increases above 25 euros [por ano] and this speaks volumes about the lack of guarantee that was implicit in the budget.”he considered.
Still, Rui Rocha emphasized that Fernando Medina “promised half a dozen months ago that the tax burden would fall and now he has increased it in the budget.”
“This guarantee from the Ministry of Finance is worthless,” he said, arguing that “the only solution” is to withdraw the tax.
In his statement to journalists, the IL leader also wanted to comment on today’s interview with the Executive Director of the National Health Service (SNS) to the Público newspaper, in which Fernando Araújo warns that if doctors do not reach an agreement with the government, November could be the worst month of the past 44 years on the SNS.
The IL leader said he expects Fernando Araújo to focus on the management of the SNS and “leave the political dimension” to the Minister of Health and the Prime Minister, accusing him of “almost passing the buck to the media ”.
“November can indeed be a dramatic month, but that responsibility lies with António Costa because he has been Prime Minister for eight years. I hope that Fernando Araújo focuses on managing the SNS and not serving as a lightning rod for António Costa’s actions ” , criticized Rui Rocha.
Source: DN
