The President of the CDS-PP has sent a letter to the President of the Republic requesting that the Mais Habitação package be forwarded to the Constitutional Court, given that the ownership is “grossly” questioned.
“The CDS-PP asked the President of the Republic to exercise his powers and raise the issue of the inconsistency of the aforementioned legislation with the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic in the Constitutional Court,” reads a note signed by the President of the Portuguese Republic. the party of Nuno Melo, who argues that constitutional protections for private initiative and property rights are “seriously questioned” in the “More Housing” package.
The party emphasizes that in a democracy, the state cannot prevent citizens from fully and legally using their assets and that all restrictions are subject to compensation.
For CDS-PP, measures like those included in the Mais Habitação package, “typical of authoritarian regimes”, are disproportionate and will encourage homes to exit the rental market, as well as accelerated property degradation.
“On the other hand, owners, businessmen and individuals who dedicate themselves to local housing cannot be the cost of lost profits in the government’s housing policy,” he emphasizes, adding that seven years ago, Prime Minister António Costa (PS) announced the public investment of 1,400 million euros to build 7,500 houses with affordable rents for 30,000 families, “but absolutely nothing worth mentioning has been achieved.”
Nuno Melo also emphasizes that the state is the largest owner in Portugal, but does not put its property on the rental market.
Regarding Local Accommodation (AL), the president of CDS-PP says it is unacceptable for the state to impose an emergency activity tax that is 40% of the tourism supply.
Mais Habitação includes tax credits, stating that anyone who rents out an AL home is exempt from the IRS on rent for several years, and has no limits on determining the value of the rent. On the other hand, in urban occupancy areas, AL will be subject to a 20% emergency contribution, which is levied on a portion of income generated and which takes into account average rental value and property income. .
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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