PSD vice president António Leitão Amaro on Sunday believed the change in savings bonds “confirms that the government is getting rid of the middle class”, accusing the director of “going after the banks”.
“The government’s decision to devalue savings bonds confirms that the government is getting rid of the middle class in Portugal. After crushing it with record taxes, it is now devaluing one of the most important savings instruments,” said the social democrat.
On Friday, the government approved the F-series savings bonds, with a base rate of 2.5%, available from Monday and replacing the E-series certificates, which were in high demand and a rate of up to 3.5%.
According to the diploma, savings certificates can also be registered in the branches and digital networks of banks, together with CTT and Espaços do Cidadão to sell this savings product.
For the PSD, the Ministry of Finance is making these changes “in response to the banks’ request to devalue savings bonds and ease competitive pressures too quickly” for banks to raise interest and fees on their own deposits and savings instruments they offer to customers”.
The suspension of the E series and its replacement with the new series led to several criticisms from the opposition, namely from the BE and the PCP, with the communists requesting an urgent parliamentary hearing from the Secretary of State for Finance, with the understanding that it was “a favor the government was doing the bank”.
A position rejected by the Secretary of State for Finance, João Nuno Mendes, in a statement to journalists on Saturday, in which he responded to criticism and stated that “no concessions were made to the bank”.
When asked if the PSD will also ask for a parliamentary hearing with the Secretary of State, António Leitão Amaro replied that the leader “has already been called by another party”.
“So we will be there and interrogate him, and we will continue to pressure the government,” he said.
Source: DN
