In Santarém on Monday, the PSD president accused the government of “severely punishing the middle class” by “discouraging the use of savings bonds”, with a measure that “again goes against the interests of the majority of the Portuguese”.
Luís Montenegro, speaking to journalists on the margins of his visit to the National Agricultural Fair in Santarém, again accused the government of “an attitude of total disrespect for the middle class, for small savers, for those who lack the economic capacity to run the risk of making other financial investments”.
The Social Democratic leader responded to the change to the rules for savings bonds that came into effect this Monday, suspending the series with a maximum rate of 3.5% and creating a new one with a lower rate of 2.5%.
Affirming that it is up to the state “to give the Portuguese the opportunity to save and prevent their future”. Montenegro stated that this decision “advances the interests of the bank” and “perhaps the interests of the government”, which are “legitimate”, but must be reconciled “with the interests of the people and, in this particular case, the people who are not big capitalists, big holders of savings and they see in this instrument the opportunity to take some profit and feel safe”.
“Obviously, when the government discourages the use of this tool, the middle class is severely punished,” he said.
Asked about last Saturday’s call by the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, for banks to better reimburse deposits, Montenegro said that “Portuguese banking must follow the evolution, already felt across Europe, of deposit valuation , namely time deposits, savings”.
“We want a bank that is competitive, that is robust, no one is asking the bank for a loss making business, no one wants our financial system to be in trouble, what we want is a fair balance,” stated.
The Social Democratic leader recalled that interest rates are high for people, families and businesses, “who pay more for their loans”, and that it is “fair to” demand the same attitude from banking institutions regarding supplies. , with “a higher return”. on bank deposits”, as is the case “a little bit across Europe”.
“We are today at the tail end, also there, of bank deposit profitability,” added Montenegro.
Source: DN
