An “illusion”, hidden “austerity”, a “package” of aid to the Portuguese. Discussion of government measures to fight inflation is scheduled for next week, but this Wednesday the parliamentary debate, in the Standing Committee, is devoted to the “increase in the cost of living and profits of economic groups and the deterioration of the inequality”. The criticism has been widespread from right to left and has focused mainly on measures for retirees, which the PSD qualified as a “permanent pension discount”. An allegation refuted by the government, with the secretary of state for tax affairs stating that: “as much budgetary space as possible to respond to a difficult time for families.”
In addition to four secretaries of state, at the request of the PCP, the government was represented in the debate by the Deputy Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Ana Catarina Mendes, who defended that “retirees in 2023 will see the biggest pension increase in the last 20 years”. “Retirees’ rights are respected, without ever endangering social security stability and without mortgaging future pensions”The minister defended, recalling the pension cuts in the time of Passos Coelho: “In one day, Portuguese pensioners received 14 months of pension and the next morning they already had two months less pension, so without prior notice. tricks”.
But under different formulations, the opposition repeated this. “In October, retirees will receive half of the increase and the other half in 2023. But in 2024 this October payment is not included in the increase. This term will be in 2023, in 2024 and for the rest of every retiree “, pointed out the PSD faction leader, Joaquim Miranda Sarmento, speaking of a “permanent cut” in pensions. Earlier, Socialist deputy Carlos Pereira had already accused the main opposition party – which last week presented its own plan to fight inflation worth 1,500 million euros – of making progress with an “austeritarian” proposal, “120% lower than that of the government” .
For the PCP, the party that requested the debate, it is a “hoax” promoted by a PS “subordinate to economic interests”, it does not deal with what is essential to the communist bank: the control and fixing of prices or the taxation of the extraordinary profits of the large economic groups.
On the right, André Ventura criticized the absence of Finance Minister Fernando Medina, describing the government’s package of measures as “theft” because he returned a small portion of what he had collected in taxes. And he also questioned the effect of the planned measure for retirees: “Is it true or not that the formula for calculating pensions has changed? Is it true or not that pensioners risk losing 600 euros per year from 2024?Speaking on behalf of IL, Deputy Carla Castro accused the government of being “highly addicted to taxes. Portugal is one of the countries of the European Union that taxes salaries the most” and that “applies the second highest tax rate for large companies” , he defended, insisting that the fight against inflation should be done precisely by cutting taxes.
BE, in the voice of Mariana Mortágua, accused the executive of wanting to create “stars” in budget targets, “filling the egos of ministers””but they leave the country poorer. “That’s why they have asked the Portuguese to have an absolute majority”, asked the blockade deputy, defending that what the government provides for pensioners is “less than nothing”, spoke of a “package ” of measures that are nothing more than “a band-aid”, while Rui Tavares, for Livre, insisted that if the government does not want to mess with the deficit, it must “promote the collection of excessive profits from companies”.
“Problem” lies in the future, says Marcelo
Yesterday Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa in Brazil, where he participates in the celebration of the 200th anniversary of independence, also spoke on the issue of pensions and emphasized that what worries people is to know what will be the basis for calculating the adjustment of pensions in the future. “That’s the problem, if it’s only half of the total or if it’s the total pie” [a contar para a atualização], the President said, emphasizing that it is still up to Parliament to have that discussion. António Costa had already stated in the morning that in 2024 no one will receive “less than they received in 2023” – a phrase later repeated by PS and the government in parliament – and referred future updates to the end of 2023, “because of what the reality is of inflation, of whatever is the reality of the country’s finances, of the country’s economy.”
Source: DN
