The PSD MP accused the government on Thursday of cheating pensioners and said this attitude “reminds” the cuts implemented by director José Sócrates.
“It reminds me of 2011, when the PS government of José Sócrates placed a 3.5 to 10% cut in the so-called ‘PEC4’ for pensioners with a pension of more than 1,500 euros,” Joaquim Miranda Sarmento told the newspaper. beginning of a parliamentary debate marked by the PSD on the party’s recommendations for setting up a social emergency program in response to the inflation-induced crisis.
In your intervention the PSD deputy reiterated the Social Democrats’ accusation that the government is preparing for “a permanent cut in pensions amounting to a billion euros”, creating “the illusion” that it supports them.
The PSD has challenged the government’s solution for pensioners, which consists in granting pensioners an extraordinary allowance equal to half-pension paid in October, and increases in 2023 between 3.53 and 4.43%, lower than the planned formula under the applicable calculation formula.
In contrast, Miranda Sarmento defended that “the PSD’s proposal is clear” by proposing an extraordinary support of 160 euros for the lowest pensions until the end of the year.
“And then in January 2023 the increase foreseen in the law, without cuts or illusions,” he said.
The PSD faction leader also announced that the party will propose two amendments to the government’s bill to be discussed on Friday, which contains the formula for calculating next year’s pensions.
“Firstly, the granting, in the same terms that the government has defined for the Portuguese in active life, of an additional 125 euros to pensioners,” he said.
On the other hand, the PSD wants to withdraw the article on pension increases decided by the government, replacing the increases provided for in the current law “which are estimated to be about 8 to 9%”.
Source: DN
