Government: The main points of the program delivered yesterday in Parliament.
The twentieth Government program, coalition led by the PSD / CDS-PP, was Friday handed in Parliament and will be discussed in Parliament in days 9 and 10. The News Journal (JN), a short form outlined the main points of the government program.
Among the proposals is the discussion of the increase in the national minimum wage and the creation of a credit line for the catering sector.
The Government intends to keep the surcharge on personal income tax, but in a scaled-down version compared to what is in effect, according to the governmental program, that does, however, reference to a crédito fiscal.
In the government program, approved on Thursday by the Cabinet and delivered this Friday in Parliament, the executive proposes a “reduction 0,875 percentage points of the surcharge applied to tax based on the Personal Income (IRS), in each year of the legislature, leading to their total elimination in 2019, can the rate of reversal be accelerated by budget availability”.
The executive says he is “open to negotiate an acceleration in IRS surcharge removal, as this focuses on active and retired, as well as in the Public Service, private sector workers and independent professionals”.
On Thursday, Finance Minister, Maria LuÃs Albuquerque, clarified that, to 2016, the government “It proposes to reduce the current 3,5% To the 2,625%, in other words, 25% reduction compared to what is in effect”.
Pay cuts
Wage cuts applied to the public service provided 2011 – what “They began to be reversed in 20% this year” – must be “again reversed in over 20%” in 2016, what it means to be “at lower 40% in January” compared to the initial cuts, He explained Maria LuÃs Albuquerque after the meeting of Council of Ministers.
Minimum wage
The Government is ready to discuss with the PS and the social partners raising the minimum wage. The coalition “expresses openness to, in conjunction with the Socialist Party [PS], at the Permanent Commission for Social Dialogue, update the value of the Guaranteed Minimum Monthly Income (or minimum wage), in line with developments in labor productivity and other relevant indicators”, referred to Government Programme.
The document also shows opening for regulating the adoption of a conciliatory procedure of redundancy for new contracts, one of the measures contained in the electoral program of the PS – and that has been advanced as one of the red lines between socialists and the Left Bloc. “The Government expresses openness to formalize and regulate the law, for new contracts, the practice already adopted in many companies cessation of employment contracts, adopting a conciliatory and voluntary procedure for this purpose, regulating the steps and procedures for the termination of the employment contract”, reads the document.
Holidays
Starting next year, it is the intention of the executive to propose, “in the spirit of gradualism”, the revision of the agreement with the Holy See on the question of religious holidays, “taking into account the correspondence in civil holidays”.
Internal security
The Government intends to approve the new regime of the Information System of the Portuguese Republic (SIRP) and provide it with mechanisms for combating terrorism and highly organized crime.
Refugees
The Government aims to provide resources to municipalities to decentralize the reception of refugees, strengthening local programs of integration of migrants. No item “integration of migrants”, arising as a novelty in the document, the PSD / CDS-PP coalition says “good practice that the country records in the integration of migrants is an international recognition factor, um element of social peace, a demographic warranty and condition” for the country's economic growth.
Restoration
No program, the Executive proposes “create a line of financing to capitalize the restoration and similar”, by Development Financial Institution, better known as development bank, no advance details. The restoration was the target of a rise in consumption tax (VAT), of 13% to 23% early 2012, which caused, according to industry association, closures of restaurants and reduction of jobs.
Culture
In the area of ​​culture emerges a new dimension, related to social inclusion, equality and citizenship. The government intends to carry out initiatives that are “impulsionadoras da diversidade cultural”, to promote human rights, including, and equal opportunities.
Capping of pensions
The government dropped “any intention of introducing mechanisms for 'capping’ pensions” in your program, de modo a “open space to generate commitments” with the PS and parties on the left. “As a sign of this will make room to generate commitments, the Government Programme already leaves aside any intention to introduce capping mechanisms pensions”, lê-se no documento.
Infrastructures
The Government intends to launch an Initial Public Offering of Portugal Infrastructure, through a capital increase on the stock exchange, keeping the state a majority position. “Prepare an Initial Public Offering of Infrastructure Portugal, preferably through a capital increase in the capital market, to keep the majority stake in state control” It is one of the proposals Passos Coelho Government in the area of ​​infrastructure.
This reinforcement hypothesis of the capital of the company born of the merger of Estradas de Portugal, managing the highway, com a Refer, managing the railroad, It had already been put on the table by the company president, António Ramalho.
In this area, the Government also wants to move forward with the construction of the motorway connection between Coimbra and Viseu, “with toll collection and without any cost to the taxpayer”.
Animal protection
The government program calls for the animal status review for a “greater dignity and respect” from to “production to consumption, research the shows”, to “pet” or “zoos”.
The government program is discussed, on days 9 and 10, in Parliament, It is announced motions of rejection by most of the left, which involves the loss of executive.
