SDP asks PS to “stop politics” and agree to cut taxes this year

This Wednesday, the SDP called on the PS to “stop politics” and agree to tax cuts this year, with the Socialists talking about a “political figure” as they believe that this IRS cut is already included in the next budget.

At the opening of a debate in the Assembly of the Republic organized by the PSD on the topic “Tax Cuts,” PSD parliamentary leader Joaquim Miranda Sarmento listed the signs of impoverishment that he considers characteristic of the PS government: including a “complex and unsustainable tax burden.”

“Given the financial waste, this debate is the last opportunity for the socialist majority to tell the country whether it wants to cut taxes in 2023. Will the PS agree to cut taxes or not by stopping the policy?” he asked.

The PSD parliamentary leader considered that the “social contract has been broken”, accusing the government of returning minimal public services in areas such as health and education, and stressed that “in just seven months the government has already charged an additional 2.2 billion euros.” than the forecast for this entire year.

“The SDP has a balanced alternative: returning taxes to families without putting public accounts at risk. The SDP wants to give families more financial freedom, but the government does not want and will not allow this,” he complained.

In response, Socialist MP Iván Gonçalves called on the PSD to explain why this Wednesday it defends the priority of the IRS, although in 2022 it considers the reduction of the IRC necessary, and why it proposes this Wednesday an opposition “which it never did when there was a Government” .

“It is in the state budget that we should discuss taxation. What you are doing today is a very basic political figure: you want to appear in the photo of tax cuts, which you already know about,” says the Socialist MP.

Miranda Sarmento explained once again that the change in priorities in relation to January 2022 was due to a “change of circumstances”, due to the outbreak of inflation, and recalled that the current PSD President Luis Montenegro ran for office promising the priority of reducing the IRS.

“It’s true that the SDP had to raise taxes in 2002 and 2011, do you know why? In 2002 we managed your swamp, and in 2011 we managed your bankruptcy,” the SDP deputy criticized.

At the opening stages of the debate, IL leader Rui Rocha hailed what he called the PSD’s “summer passion” by saying his party was advocating in the 2023 budget a larger cut to the IRS than what the PSD is currently proposing. Social Democrats.

“They offer to return the daily allowance to those who receive an average salary,” he criticized, advising the Social Democrats to “lace up their boots” in this area.

BE and PCP criticized one of the measures proposed by the SDP in particular: an IRS and TSU tax exemption for performance bonuses of up to 6% of annual base salary.

“The PSD came to this debate motivated by the bosses’ proposal for a social pact,” accused blocker José Soeiro, recalling that in September 2012, one of the largest demonstrations since April 25 took place in Portugal, caused precisely by the proposal to cut the employer TSU.

In the same spirit, PCP deputy Duarte Alves considered it “the most serious measure” of the measures proposed by the PSD, warning that it would bring “smaller pensions and less protection during illness” to workers.

“The SDP still wants to undermine the sustainability of the social security system,” he accused.

In response, the PSD parliamentary leader assured that the proposal “has nothing to do with the social pact” proposed by the CIP, but stated that “productivity is the main problem of the lack of growth of the Portuguese economy.”

Miranda Sarmento expressed regret that the IL leader wanted to be a “monopolist” on the issue of taxes, and said that Rui Rocha had not yet “dreamed” that his party would exist, and “the PSD has already talked about financial reform and tax cuts.” . “.

“Unfortunately, whenever we have been government, the PS accounts have not allowed us to follow our program,” he reiterated.