The boss of consumer champion DECO has accused the government of trying to turn taxpayers into tax collectors.
Jorge Morgado, the association’s secretary general, said the new lottery based on customers registering purchases in the hope of winning a car, is a ploy by the Ministry of Finance to turn taxpayer into a tax collectors - the reason to pay taxes is to have more social services and participating in a premium car lottery is not the way forward.
Speaking on World Consumer Day, Jorge Morgado said that DECO has of course always supported the requirement for taxpayers to request invoices for the goods and services that they buy.
"No society can live without a correctly administered tax system to pay for health, education and roads," added Morgado, but he was critical of the new emphasis on the buyer to do the tax department’s job, turning the public into “tax collectors and monitoring agents."
"This government has cut back social benefits while increasing taxes” said Morgado, adding that he believes that taxpayers should be made aware of the importance of paying taxes and “that this is a job that must be done in families, schools and communities.”
"The Portuguese have to be educated as to their obligations, not in the hope of high-end cars, but so as to enable the state to provide better services," he concluded.
This year the government aims to spend €2.7 million on the Factura da Sorte monthly lottery, and €3.5 million next year.
