The general secretary of the PCP accused the government of being inactive in the face of “the scandal” of economic groups making “obscene profits” in the current situation and of speaking of inflation as “divine punishment” against salaries and pensions. These criticisms were made by Jerónimo de Sousa at a press conference at the end of the meeting of the Central Committee of the PCP, after being confronted with the position of the Prime Minister, António Costa, on the question of the taxation of the excessive profits of the companies of the sector. energy in the current climate of rising inflation

“I don’t know what the prime minister thinks, but in fact we are facing an unacceptable situation,” the PCP general secretary replied.

For the leader of the PCP, at this juncture in which “the consequences of an expensive life are beginning to be felt, with an increase in the cost of living at different levels”, the PS executive prefers to appeal “to the sacrifice of workers and pensioners ., speaking of inflation as a divine punishment”.

“And those who have to pay for inflation are salaries, pensions and pensions,” he added.

Jerónimo de Sousa then referred to “the drama of many small and medium-sized companies, which find themselves in a situation of anguish in terms of treasury and accounting, in terms of developing their own production”. “Given this, what will all the Portuguese think of this scandal? When the social fractures begin to take place, taking into account the increase in the cost of living, not a word is said about those obscene profits in a context of great difficulties, ”he criticized.

The general secretary of the PCP defended that “a substantial part of these fabulous and unexpected profits must be used to invest in increasing national production and taking into account social concerns.”

“The PCP does not advocate a rigorous and inflexible number [de aplicação de taxa]but we believe that the Government should take the initiative, bearing in mind that there is no economic or other argument that justifies this situation of scandal and privilege on the part of a few economic groups that are raising millions and millions of euros for profit, he added .

The PS is increasingly “more to the right” and what comes with the State Budget “is not good”

For the general secretary of the PCP, nothing good is expected from the State Budget proposal for 2023, that is, in terms of salary, and he accused the PS Government of being increasingly to the right. Asked about his expectations regarding the executive’s draft budget, which must be presented to parliament on October 10, the communist leader replied: “As far as we know, even in terms of execution in relation to this current Budget, what is coming It’s not good here.” ”.

To justify his perception, Jerónimo de Sousa referred to statements by the Prime Minister, António Costa, on the evolution of public administration salaries in 2023, but also on issues related to the National Health Service (SNS). “We will see the proposal that comes out in the face of the worsening of the current economic and social situation, with its impacts on the lives of workers and the people. We will see what measures are going to be presented in the Budgets so that the Portuguese have some peace of mind, but with the awareness that it is going to cost a lot of struggle”, he declared.

In his initial statement, the general secretary of the PCP accused the PS executive of being “increasingly right-wing”, presenting measures “corroborated by the PSD and the President of the Republic, and converging with the objectives of the CDS, the Liberal and the Upstairs. “.

“Measures that go beyond what is essential and configure a path of prolongation of the loss of purchasing power and accumulation of profits by economic groups. No measures to combat speculation, the main component of the current rise in prices, under the pretext that there are no vaccines to combat inflation, except, as the Government inexplicably defends, the erosion of wages, pensions and reforms,” Jerónimo pointed out. of Sousa.

The general secretary of the PCP used his harshest words when referring to the government’s proposal to increase pensions by 2023, a proposal that suspends the application of the legal formula for annual updating, in exchange for a 50% supplement to the pension to be paid in October. “He is not a hiding cat with his tail out. He is a cat on display with his tail hidden,” he said.

According to Jerónimo de Sousa, under the pretext of the single quota for October, “which does not cover even half of the purchasing power lost in 2022”, the Government, contrary to what it announces, intends to “impose a definitive cut in the value of pensions in 2023 and in the following years”. “The PCP also denounces the rejection of wage increases as an emergency and essential element to replenish purchasing power and an effective fight against poverty,” he added.

In his first words, the communist leader expressed his concern about the “disproportionate increase in the cost of everything essential for the life of the people.”

“A negative evolution that is inseparable from the sanctions, from the war, from the use that big capital makes of them and from the options of the PS Government, which notoriously covers it up, refusing to take the measures that were necessary to face the serious problems that the workers and the people are facing,” said the general secretary of the PCP.

Jerónimo de Sousa, in this context, also highlighted as a negative factor the recent decision of the European Central Bank (ECB) to increase reference interest rates, which “will have a huge impact, specifically on mortgage loans”.