Thousands of motorcyclists from different parts of the country filled several roads this Sunday in Lisbon, protesting against the increase of the unified circulation tax (IUC), which they classify as “robbery”, in order to replenish the state coffers.
The protest, organized by the Motorcycle Action Group (GAM), began at 12:15 pm in Encarnazão, Lisbon.
The motorcyclists already in the capital were joined by others who initially concentrated in Aveiras de Sima, Alcácer do Sal and Vendas Novas, heading from the north to the south of the country.
We are talking about increasing the MUK for motorcycles, provided for in the state budget for 2024 (OE 2024), which will begin to apply in January.
The motorcyclists are heading to Belem, where they intend to deliver a document to the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, warning of what they say is a discriminatory measure by the government.
“We must express our dissatisfaction with this abuse. This is in no way fair. This is a measure that took us by surprise,” said Luce Jorge Gameiro, who is a member of the protest organization.
According to him, motorcycles are currently the means of transport for many people, and the price increase from 25 euros to an IUC of 120 or 130 euros is unbearable.
“The motorcycle is increasingly becoming an alternative means of transport. In major cities, people can easily travel by motorcycle. This is an economical and suitable vehicle,” he emphasized.
Jose Antunes, who was present at the same protest, emphasized that the current standard of living does not allow for a greater increase.
“People ride motorcycles to work. […]. Many people have a motorcycle as well as a car for their family and now they will not be able to afford it. This is an exaggerated increase,” he said.
However, he is not confident that the government will change this situation.
“I don’t know if [os governantes] They will pay attention, but they should. This is a fair protest and people cannot afford a higher increase,” he reiterated.
Jose Felix, in turn, considered this measure an unjustified “hole” for taxpayers’ wallets.
“This is a purely financial decision. I believe that such an increase is inappropriate. This is not why pollution will be banned. There are people who will write off their motorcycles, and the insurance companies themselves will be fined,” he said.
The motorcyclist also assured that with this measure, Finance Minister Fernando Medina “takes care of the public treasury, not the environment.”
Jose Felix also noted that the decision to raise is not unanimous within the PS itself, and warned about the possibility of the party losing votes in the next elections.
“Since the government has an absolute majority, this is what I want, I can and I command. We are always the weakest link,” he lamented.
However, he was willing to continue to engage in various forms of struggle for a cause that he assured was just.
“We are motorcycle enthusiasts and we have colleagues who have 10 motorcycles. How will they be able to pay? It will be a shame. This makes no sense. When we bought cars, we knew how much we would have to pay, and now the government is coming to the conclusion that we have to pay more. Electric cars are exempt from tax, but they drive and ruin the asphalt. They could have a minimum tax,” he added.
In the manifesto, which will be presented to Marcelo Rebel de Souza, the motorcyclists claim that the motorcycle is “the most economical and least polluting means of private motorized transport in existence”, solving “the mobility problem of more than 500,000 citizens.” who already use these vehicles for their daily commute.”
According to the data provided in the letter, in 2022, more than 38 thousand vehicles were registered in the motorcycle fleet.
“With the increase in IUC plus the new “environmental tax”, [os motociclistas] will lose the exemption, reaching up to 26.19 euros in some models. It should also be noted that motorcycles with a larger engine capacity, which have already paid more in IUC than in compulsory insurance, will be penalized even more, with an absurd increase of more than 22% reaching a value of 168.15 euros,” he emphasized.
Proposal OE2024 changes the tax rules in terms of IUC for Category A vehicles registered before 2007 and motorcycles (Category E), specifying that they are no longer taxed solely on the basis of engine size (as is currently the case), which is currently being considered. environmental component.
However, OE2024 contains a safeguard clause specifying that tax increases cannot increase by more than €25 each year.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Dave Martin, and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. As a part of my work, I write for 24 News Reporters, covering mostly sports-related topics. With more than 5 years of experience as a journalist, I have written numerous articles on various topics to provide accurate information to readers.