Portugal's Prime Minister promises to lower taxes next year and that there will be a decision on the minimum wage increase "very soon."
Pedro Passos Coelho today said that there is "no one in the government that is not working hard to reduce the tax burden, but this will only happen if conditions in the country permit."
"Already for 2015 we plan to remove some of these extraordinary taxes. Others we already have started to remove, this is an issue where reality will dictate whether it is possible or not," said Pedro Passos Coelho.
The PSP leader spoke to reporters before a PSD national council congress in Leiria saying that he wanted to raise the national minimum wage and hopes soon to be able to make a decision but added that there needs to be a consensus and any rise should be linked to productivity growth, "in order not to jeopardise the sustainability of companies and therefore not generate unemployment for the future."
"In the past in Portugal there was a strategy that basically started in the ‘60s and lasted for a few governments beyond April 25 1974 which emphasised that Portugal could attract foreign investment due to the low wage rates in the country," continued the Prime Minister, adding that "this is not the model we want for the future.£
Next year is election year and if Passos Coelho can avoid prosecution in the Tecnoforma affair which is threatening to bring his personal fiscal probity into question he will be looking at creating as many tax give aways as possible in the time-honoured pre-election manner.
Comments
If elections motivate the government to make these kind of decisions then let's have elections every year! :)
These are not decisions, they are election year promises that will never amount to anything. They will reduce taxes if conditions "permit" and a "decision" on the wages next year.
Is this man 'pure Portuguese' or not ??? Sounds a bit mixed race to me !
Why is he referring to reality? If he is a truly of Portuguese blood this has no bearing whatsoever. It is actually yet another anchor, holding back this mighty race.
As well as those damned Burundians ... or is it British ? Schooling was never my strong point. Left as early as I could. What is an R or a U, between friends I ask ?
Never made the grade as a ploughman so joined the GNR. Bit my hand off - they were so pleased to see me.
Said I was officer material ... So I never looked back. Or forward or sideways for that matter. Because of this they promoted me ... Now I am a GNR detective!
(Interview to publicise - 'GNR'ing for boys'. Just published 2014- Lieutenant Miguel Macedo. Already sold 2,00 copies - so given the total who can read, a best seller in Portugal)
If elections motivate the government to make these kind of decisions then let's have elections every year! :)