Montenegro accuses PS of ruthless abuse of tax collectors

The leader of the PSD, Luis Montenegro, accused the PS this Wednesday of the ruthless rampage of tax collectors, deeming it regrettable that the government’s goal in developing the country is to punish families and companies.

“It is worth saying that the PS continues to go on its rampage as a tireless tax collector, taking resources from people, families, companies and institutions, perhaps funneling slightly more popular measures to the state budget (OE) to launch the election campaign,” said Louis Montenegro, reacting to five proposals for tax cuts that the SDP put to a vote in parliament this Wednesday.

For the Social Democratic president, the result of the vote confirmed that “the PS does not have the political will to reduce the IRS in 2023” and also “to introduce a maximum rate of 15% for young people under 35.” years,” “establish in law criteria for updating IRS rates based on inflation,” or tax and contribution exemptions for “productivity and productivity bonuses,” which PSD estimates “could equate to 6% of forgone wages, which is more or less one 15th salary.”

“It is regrettable that the party that governed Portugal for eight years and which governed for more than 21 of the last 28 years, aims to develop the country by punishing people, families and companies with taxes,” said the PSD leader. journalists.

In Entroncamento, where this Wednesday he visited the train station as part of the “Sentir Portugal” initiative, the Social Democrat also hinted at a “discrepancy” between the Minister of Finance, who announced his intention to levy IRS on minimum wage workers, and the Prime Minister, who abandoned this measure, eliminating “two signs” from the situation.

“A sign of a desire to collect even more taxes, on the one hand, and a sign of a lack of coordination between two members of the government who are absolutely central and decisive for the functioning of the government,” he explained.

Asked about the hypothesis that this income could be taxed in the coming years, the Social Democrat said he did not want to believe that “the words of the Prime Minister expressed yesterday (Tuesday) during the debate are invalid while this mandate,” adding that if the PS wants to propose an increase in the IRS rate, in the next election campaign “the Portuguese will decide.” But for now, he argued, we must take António Costa’s word, which “contradicts what has been announced” by Fernando Medina.

However, he stressed that “this government, this Prime Minister, this PS does not stop in its desire to carry out a real financial attack on Portugal, at the level of personal income taxes, on companies, at the level of indirect taxes. “. In other words, he charged that “it’s really a government that doesn’t live by creating wealth, that doesn’t create economic growth that generates more tax revenue,” but rather a government that “lives by reporting accurately because of two factors that greatly penalize the lives of people: maximum taxes, minimum services.”