Chega and the Liberal Initiative defended the reduction in the tax burden on Monday and the PCP called for greater redistribution of wealth, stating that “people’s lives count” in response to Brussels forecasts.
“Saying we’re going to grow 2.4% in a context where we have tens of billions of euros in European funds and historic inflation, without saying how much more the Portuguese and their families will have, how many pensioners will have too much and how much it will increase the tax burden. will reduce sounds like little on the part of the finance minister”Chega leader André Ventura said in statements at the party’s headquarters in Lisbon.
Ventura said the government “has in no way benefited or contributed” to those he believes are the drivers of economic growth, such as tourism or domestic consumption, emphasizing that the country is “not exporting more technology, not exporting more”. raw materials raw materials, it is no longer exporting ‘know-how’, it is no longer exporting textiles, it is not innovating”.
“The announced 2.4% growth for the Portuguese economy is anemic growth. And it is anemic when we consider that there are tens of billions of euros available in EU funds to grow the Portuguese economy. Portugal should grow much more with the PRR funds he currently has at his disposal”considered.
Chega’s deputy defended that “all factors of economic growth are not factors of structural growth” and that he would acknowledge “if the government does a good job on this issue.”
Speaking to journalists in parliament, Liberal Initiative deputy João Cotrim Figueiredo also defended that this is an opportunity to “bring about a general tax cut to stimulate the economy” rather than doing what he sees as a “wealth way” of distributing excess revenue.
Cotrim Figueiredo stated that “What the European Union came to say is that the government will be the biggest beneficiary of inflation because it will raise taxes much more than it budgeted for” and accused the government of doing “little or nothing” to boost tourism.
And that has to be said in relation to this sector [o turismo]The government has done little or nothing. And what it has done is devalue and attack the tourism sector, namely with what it is trying to do with local accommodation in the More Housing package,” he said.
The IL MEP also said that all countries eligible for the EU Cohesion Fund “will grow more in 2024” than Portugal and that “this should be mentioned at the same time as we quote the good news about 2023”.
“It is fair to say that a swallow does not make it to the spring bulletin either, which is why, in the midst of this good news that we salute, there are these shadows and these clouds that make us understand that the future is not as bright as it might may seem,” he concluded.
PCP deputy Bruno Dias warned of the need to distribute the wealth generated in the country, stressing that “the workers who create wealth are working impoverished” and called for more investment in public services.
“When we talk about results and positive statistics for Portugal in the European context, etc., everything is right. There is a lack of public investment, a lack of investment in public services and a lack of distribution of that wealth. And that means wages and pensions and social benefits”, defended.
The communist recalled the controversial statement made by the chairman of the Social Democrats, Luís Montenegro, in 2014, when he was parliamentary leader of the PSD – the party that ruled the country in coalition with the CDS-PP at the time of the ‘troika ‘. memorandum – which he stated in an interview that “people’s lives are not better, but the country is much better”.
“Apparently that is the motto again in 2023. (…) It’s about human lives. We need the Portuguese, everyone who lives here, to have a better life. There are conditions for that. Let’s go to the political options that create the conditions for this,” he insisted.
The European Commission on Monday revised its growth forecast for the Portuguese economy for this year upwards to 2.4%, the third highest rate in the eurozone, which appears to be more optimistic than the government. Brussels also forecasts that the Portuguese deficit will fall to 0.1% this year, the lowest in the eurozone.
Source: DN
