Cape Verdean opposition leader criticizes prime minister and says he submitted budget proposals

The president of PAICV, Cape Verde’s largest opposition party, said this Wednesday that the 2023 state budget has “no answers to the great hardships” of the population, saying it presents alternatives, contrary to the prime minister’s statements.

“It does not provide answers to the great difficulties that the population is facing at the moment, it does not solve the serious situation of youth unemployment, it does not answer the problems of the treasury and company financing, it does not structure responses to the health sectors, it does not provide answers to the challenges of education , does not restore the purchasing power of families, does not reduce taxes, and does not improve the economic environment,” said Rui Semedo, president of the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde.

“We’re facing a budget that pretends we’re changing to keep things the same, with travel continuing to rise, it’s not making any effort to save money to build reserves to help the poor, it’s showing no sign of rationalization of structures and services, and this continues to put the States at the service of those few who support the ruling party, ”he added at a press conference.

Cape Verdean Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva on November 28 accused the opposition of not submitting rational proposals for the proposed 2023 state budget law, as they only exacerbated public spending.

“The opposition says that it is necessary to reduce government spending, it is necessary to reduce the weight of public debt in GDP, it is necessary to reduce taxes or not to aggravate the tax burden. comes with proposals that increase spending, increase debt and which, in order to be funded, must resort to higher taxes,” the prime minister said after announcing to the country the approval of the proposed state budget law early Saturday.

“First, proposals are put forward, and then when they are asked what impact research is, what value it has, they don’t. In fact, these proposals are more for creating problems than for solving them,” criticized Ulysses Correia and Silva.

“It was a kind of expansion with only one team on the field, because the Prime Minister loves to play alone, because he hates and challenges the opposition, and if he could, he would be without it, so that no one dares to reveal the excesses of his government. a major marketing and propaganda operation to try and convince the people of Cape Verde that the government has a solution to their problems,” Rui Semedo responded to the Prime Minister’s statement on Monday.

“The Prime Minister justified the tentative leadership of all opposition proposals by stating loud and clear, for all to hear, that opposition proposals create more problems than solve them. The strange democratic culture of the prime minister who considers the proposals of the opposition is a problem. For our part, we still believe that building opposition with proposals is a way to bring other ideas to Parliament, to demonstrate that there are other ways and other ways, and to present alternatives to this mismanagement of the country,” the PAICV leader added.

He recalled that the proposals of the largest opposition party, which was in power from 2001 to 2016, were to “create cushions for individuals and families to overcome the difficulties caused by the crisis, improve the working conditions of companies, correct injustice, namely taxes.” fight poverty and strengthen national solidarity.”

Namely, by reducing the Government, by merging ministries, rationalizing the administrative apparatus of the state apparatus, streamlining the structures and management contracts that have become universal, and “greater increases in the minimum wage” and the minimum social pension, as well as proposals such as the wages of “all levels” or exemption from tourist tax for citizens of the country.

Early on Saturday morning, the Cape Verdean parliament, after voting line by line, approved the draft law on the state budget for 2023 with only votes in favor of the Movement for Democracy. , ending many hours of discussion in which the opposition criticizes the non-inclusion of their proposals.

The draft law on the state budget for 2023, which is awaiting promulgation by the President of the Republic, José María Neves, is estimated at 77.9 billion escudos (712 million euros), includes an increase in the lowest salaries in public administration and economic growth forecasts. Cape Verde’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 4.8% and inflation of less than 4% versus more than 8% expected this year.

Cape Verde has been experiencing a deep economic and financial crisis caused by a sharp drop in tourism demand – a sector that guarantees 25% of the archipelago’s GDP – since March 2020 due to the covid-19 pandemic.

It experienced a historic economic downturn equivalent to 14.8% of GDP in 2020, followed by a 7% growth in 2021 driven by a recovery in tourism demand. For 2022, due to the economic consequences of the war in Ukraine, namely rising prices, the government of Cape Verde lowered its growth forecast in June from 6% to 4%, which, however, was revised again, now by more than 8%. %.