Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa considered the family support package that the extraordinary Council of Ministers approved this Monday to mitigate the impact of the rise in the cost of living on income, the total cost of which is 2.4 billion euros.
“There were people who understood that the package had to be heavy, important and durable. There were people who understood that it would be so expensive that it risked putting the Portuguese state in debt in a year’s time, that’s a question mark. pension issue, the law of which gave a certain increase.The government tried to strike a balance between the two positions, and moved towards that balance with the measures concentrated in October, but it is feared that these measures will not be delayed for long time to state not to pay taxes until the end of next year, as well as the situation regarding fuels. It is a balance, so as not to jeopardize next year’s state budget too much.”said the president of the republic this Monday evening.
“It’s a balanced proposal. The financial radicals will criticize, people who expected more generous measures will say it’s short. The government held back, it went where it thought it was going.”he added, admitting that he “wanted to be more ambitious” but that consideration should be given to the scrutiny this package will be subjected to by international bodies.
Marcelo warned that “the announced tax cut” is not intended to “raise taxes next year” and admitted to taking “additional measures” if inflation continues to rise.
The head of state also praised the role of the PSD, which had admitted to injecting money directly into families. “PSD played an important role, as it opened a path that the government facilitated by admitting that money was injected directly into families, after being linked for so many years as a budgetary restraint party. The PSD had a sense of state”praised.
Among the measures announced, there is a brake on the increase in rents in 2023, with the increase limited to 2%, accompanied by a tax aspect to mitigate the impact of the measure for landlords.
According to the communiqué of this meeting of the Council of Ministers, one of the measures adopted is also “the granting to all families, regardless of income, of an extraordinary payment of EUR 50 for each descendant up to 24 years of age covered by their levy”, the “extension of the validity until the end of the year of the suspension of the carbon tax increase, the return to citizens of the additional VAT revenue and the reduction of the ISP”, as well as allowing the refund of part of the natural gas customers to the regulated market.
The government has also mandated “freeze prices for public transport tickets and tickets at CP during 2023, ensuring appropriate compensation for this company and the transport authorities”.
Source: DN
