The spokeswoman for PAN and a single member of Parliament, Inês de Sousa Real, said today that the Portuguese do not need “illusionist maneuvers”, referring to the IRS reduction measures announced by the AD government.
“We are facing a worsening quality of life, whether with the constant increase in interest rates, food prices or inflation, and the Portuguese need a tax reform once and for all that guarantees a reduction not only in the personal income tax (IRS), which includes a review of the IRS brackets, but also of the rate applied,” he said.
Inês de Sousa Real was speaking to journalists in Funchal, Madeira, where today she took part in the meeting of the militants’ assembly that elected PAN’s new regional political committee, now led by Mónica Freitas.
“What the Portuguese don’t need right now are illusionist maneuvers,” he said, adding that on Monday the PAN will submit a “fiscal emergency program” to Parliament.
The controversy surrounding the IRS reduction measures arose after, in an interview with RTP on Friday, the Finance Minister said that the 1.5 billion euros of IRS relief, mentioned by the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, in the debate on the government’s program, will not be added to the 1.3 billion euros of IRS reduction included in the State Budget for 2024 and already in force, explaining that the measure will be around 200 million euros.
Inês de Sousa Real explained that the PAN’s tax emergency program is based on a set of “five very concrete tax measures” aimed at helping families and young people with their personal income tax.
“We also want to ensure that dependent workers and pensioners have a greater ability to deduct by increasing the current bracket of 4,109 euros to 4,909 euros,” he said.
The PAN also defends the reinstatement of zero VAT on the essential basket and wants to lower this tax from 23% to 6% on animal feed and veterinary services, stressing that “they can no longer be treated as luxury goods”.
