At a press conference on the last day to deliver proposals for changes to the State Budget for 2024 (OE2024), the parliamentary leader of IL, Rodrigo Saraiva, and the liberal deputy on the budget and finance committee, João Cotrim Figueiredo, presented the 24 “interventions” that the party wants to make to the document with the aim of giving “security and hope to the Portuguese” in the current political crisis scenario.
The liberal proposals are divided into four main areas which are “getting Portugal to grow, getting Portugal to work, the IL resolves and less State in the economy”, with João Cotrim Figueiredo starting by detailing the proposal on the IRS.
With the aim of having a single IRS, “lower, simpler and fairer”, IL proposes “three levels, two rates and the elimination of the programs for non-habitual residents, the return program and the young IRS”.
The liberals' proposal is that a 0% rate be applied up to 7,400 euros of taxable income with the aim of replacing the “current and complex” minimum existence.
In the second tier, the 15% rate would be applied up to 32,450 euros of taxable income, with a third tier thereafter with a rate of 44%.
“We propose the repeal of the IUC, in our own way. We will also only take two euros per month from the State in revenue. If it’s not much for taxpayers, even less for the State,” he explained.
With a view to completely ending the IUC, IL proposes that it be reduced by 25 euros per year for all vehicles until it reaches zero euros.
In addition to the privatizations that liberals usually propose, Cotrim Figueiredo presented the “round trip” program, which aims to ensure that the money injected to save TAP returns to the pockets of Portuguese taxpayers when it is reprivatised.
“Whatever the revenue from TAP’s privatisation, it is to be returned to the Portuguese,” he said.
I like these proposals and will almost certainly be voting for the IL in the next elections.
The fiscal burden on the average Portuguese is outrageous, and our government is bloated, bureaucratic and inefficient.
One only needs to look at the latest scandal involving Mr. Costa to realise that the modus operandi of the Portuguese state has been to over-interfere in the economy with the goal of selling concessions to the private sector for the personal gains of politicians.
Less Socialism will mean less state interference and less opportunity for corruption, while increasing the economic liberty of the people.
I hope this message gets through to the children of the Carnation Revolution, however.
By Quentin Ferreira from Lisbon on 15 Nov 2023, 13:27