Youth and Modernization Minister Margarida Balseiro Lopes today called on opposition parties to endorse the government’s youth tax proposal, as keeping young people in Portugal must be a priority for everyone.
“The IRS Youth Action is a measure that has a big social impact, but also a big financial impact. It amounts to about 1 billion euros and takes into account the urgency with which the country must settle the younger generation in Portugal,” Balceiro Lopez said in an interview with Lusa.
The government’s proposal would cut two-thirds of the IRS for young people to try to “mitigate the labor drain” in the country.
“This government doesn’t really like the fact that 30% of young Portuguese don’t live here at the moment,” Balceiro Lopes said. “The country is losing the most skilled generation in history, and we need that talent.”
The IRS’s proposed change is progressive: “meaning whoever earns more pays more.”
“The government hasn’t changed the progressivity of the tax, it’s made the same cut at all levels, a two-thirds cut” so that “parents and grandparents can see their children and grandchildren grow here,” he said.
Since this is a financial issue, “Parliament is competent to say whether it agrees or disagrees with the government’s proposal, and it hopes that the parties will show some sensitivity to understand whether the exodus and hemorrhage of young people leaving the country is a priority or not,” the minister explained youth, commenting on criticism of the progressive nature of the measure.
“The country’s problem is not that we have young people who earn too much money, but that we have too many young people who earn poorly, and that is what the parties should focus on,” the minister added, not who wanted to talk about it. balance of power in parliament, but reaffirmed the executive’s commitment to “solving people’s specific problems.”
“As for young people, there is still a lot to be done and it must be, firstly, about announcing measures, and secondly, making sure that these measures touch the lives of young Portuguese, because there have been too many years of announcements of non-essential measures , measures announced in Power Point”.
In his opinion, consistent statements that were not implemented led to the “discreditation of political activity”, and “the rise of populism is a fertile ground that arises from the fact that governments are unable to solve people’s problems.”
Therefore, as “governor, my job is to solve the problems and implement what I announce,” he said, recalling his government’s recent approval of an exemption from municipal transmission tax (IMT) for home purchases by young people. people under 35 years of age and the extension of Porta 65 Jovem conditions or the free distribution of personal hygiene products in health centers and schools.
This legislative initiative will not jeopardize the balance of public finances, the SDP leader promised.
“Public accounts are the property of governments led by the PSD, and therefore this is not destiny now, it is a condition for fulfilling our mandate and this will not be questioned,” he said, stressing that these measures are included in the government program.
“It would not be surprising if the government wants to implement its program and therefore this is what we are naturally focused on, always concerned about the sustainability of public finances, because this is the asset of governments led by the SDP,” he added.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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