The Council of Ministers will approve today the extension of the zero VAT measure on some food products considered essential until the end of the year, announced the secretary general of the PS and prime minister António Costa.
«And that is why, because the measure has worked, which is expected to end next October, tomorrow the Council of Ministers will approve the extension of the zero VAT reduction until December 31, so that we can continue to control the price of fundamental food goods for Portuguese families», announced this Wednesday António Costa, at the Socialist Academy, in Évora, an initiative that marks the socialist rentrée.
The decrease from 6% to 0% in a set of 46 food products considered essential came into force in April.
As for the increase in interest rates on housing loans, António Costa referred measures to after next week's meeting of the European Central Bank «to make it clearer what will happen», but guaranteed that the Government will adopt new measures to support families in September.
With regard to the IRS, the socialist leader defended that the executive does not need to «invent anything» and stressed that the Government maintains the objective already set: «the commitment that we have is in the coming years to withdraw almost another two billion euros of IRS payment that the Portuguese still maintain», he said.
In a long speech that had a full house at the Évora Hotel, with many supporters standing by, the prime minister also made reference to the housing crisis at another point in his speech.
The Government program “More Housing”, which was vetoed by the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, will be reviewed in parliament on the 21st of September.
«We know well that those who face interests are beaten by everyone, and if they try to be thoughtful, balanced, have common sense, they even take the beating of those who think we were too good and those who think we were not too good», he defended, adding that he is «he has been used to being beaten for many years because he is balanced and moderate».
Costa argued that the housing policy «is not against anyone», but «in favor of the new generations» and families that live «dramatic situations».
«And there is something that I ask: if it is fair, if it is ethical and if it is moral, when there are so many people wanting a new life, and so many houses in need of a new life, what right is there to keep the houses closed, you know up there waiting for what», he argued.
At the entrance to the Socialist Academy, António Costa and the Minister of Education João Costa heard protests from two teachers wearing T-shirts saying “We love the School”.
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