The president of the Liberal Initiative (IL) challenged Pedro Nuno Santos this Saturday to vote in favor of the proposal to reduce the Fuel Tax (ISP), which the party will present in the discussion of the State Budget (OE) for 2025.
Rui Rocha’s challenge, made in Braga, during the party’s “rentrée” speech, comes after the socialist secretary general criticized IL for remaining silent in the face of “the three tax increases in fuel prices” decided by the current Government, which he accused of “lowering IRS and paying for this reduction with the increase in fuel prices”.
Regarding fuels, Rui Rocha left a challenge to Pedro Nuno Santos: “We will, once again, present a proposal to reduce the ISP in the Budget that will now be discussed. And the challenge I want to make to Pedro Nuno Santos, who is so concerned about fuel taxes, is that, contrary to what the PS has done in recent years, this time he votes in favor of the Liberal Initiative’s proposal.”
Rui Rocha refuted the criticism of the PS secretary general, recalling the socialist government.
“I want to say two or three things to Pedro Nuno Santos. Firstly, we know what the PS did in past legislatures, in terms of taxes, in terms of fuel, we know, we have memory, they may want us to lose our memory, but no. We know exactly what the PS did in this country in the last eight years”, declared the president of IL.
The leader of the liberals also said that “if no one else wants to take the trouble to remind the PS of the consequences of its governance”, the IL will be at the forefront “to remind and accuse (the PS) of the consequences of its policies”.
In his opening speech at the PS National Committee, which is taking place today in Coimbra, Pedro Nuno Santos stated that the updates to the carbon tax “make petrol seven cents more expensive today and diesel 7.5 cents more expensive” than they would be without these tax increases.
The PS leader also said that these tax increases are being made “at the same time as there is a relief in the IRS”, recalling that, when the socialists were in Government and were preparing the budgets, “the entire right tried to explain to the country” that they were giving “with one hand and taking away with two”.
“We have not yet heard anyone, namely from Chega or the Liberal Initiative, say the same about what this Government is doing: lowering IRS and erasing this IRS reduction with an increase in fuel prices”, criticised Pedro Nuno Santos.
Source: rr.sapo.pt
